Castiel and Crowley SE1 Episode 6 - TNM: The Next Wave
by WatchingOne
Summary: The Portal to Purgatory has been ripped open, the past, present and future are thrown into complete chaos, and Castiel and Crowley are facing down a horde of unstoppable evil...hm...must be Thursday...
1. Future Pretenses

**Future Pretenses**

The room shook violently once again, the glass rattling in the window frames, threatening to shatter. The Heralds, the gathering of teens granted power from the Angel and the Demon, stared around wide-eyed at the shaking room. Jesse Turner, however, watched the aforementioned Angel and Demon, his eyes not blinking, his jaw set and determined.

The Angel was smiling, hands clasped behind his back, staring at the window through to the darkening sky. The Demon was watching Jesse instead, meeting him eye-for-eye, the chaos around them completely ignored, watching, waiting...to see who would blink first.

"I can _feel_ it, Brother," the Angel practically purred. "Joshua has linked the openings together." His eyes danced with a maddened light, like stars in a slow swirling motion. He looked down at his brother. "We've done it. We've finally done it."

"Oh, let's not go getting ahead of ourselves, dear Brother," the Demon answered smoothly, eyes never leaving Jesse's. "The Old Man has wriggled out of tougher spots than this in the past. Besides, there are still...obstacles in the way before we can smash open that lock." His eyebrows raised, seemingly only for Jesse's benefit. "Isn't that right?"

Jesse felt a bead of sweat roll down his forehead. The Demon's icy cool eyes never wavered, but the corner of his mouth went up in a half-smile.

"Bah, trivialities," The Angel said, waving his hand through the air. "We will remove the last guardian and smash the lock in due time. She is doubtlessly standing in the rubble of Father's Kingdom of Heaven right now, wondering what to do next." He smiled, his head tilting backwards and his eyes slowly closing. "We will show Suriel what to do. We will show the Angel of Death how to die."

The Demon finally broke his gaze with Jesse, closing his eyes and then rolling them, letting out a huff in exasperation. He looked up at his brother with a look of disbelief on his face.

"Seriously? Is there a 'Master Plan' script somewhere that I never got to read? 'We will show her...' ", the Demon mocked, mimicking the Angel's voice. He let out a barking laugh. "C'mon...you know? C'mere...fist bump..." he said, holding his arm and curled up fist out towards his brother. The Angel frowned at him, uncomprehending.

"Fist bump? That's all we need to do these days to celebrate a big win. C'mon bro, don't leave me hanging here..." The Angel continued to frown, and the Demon let his hand drop with a sigh. "Suppose it was too much to ask for...", he mumbled, getting up from his chair, slapping the armrests hard with the flat of his palms.

"Soooo! Who's up for a little field trip?", the Demon asked the room. The teenagers turned their eyes to him, still shaken by the blackened sky and trembling earth. "C'mon...supposed to be really nice there...well, it was, anyway, up till about twenty minutes ago..."

One of the girls, Jesse remembered Leon had told him that her name was Sarah, broke the silence that followed.

"Where...where are we going?"

The Demon smiled. "Home."

* * *

Castiel watched the Old Ones advancing on the small group of Angels on the shore, Crowley, for his part, wasn't attempting to run away anywhere. He looked more in shock than anything else.

Castiel frowned. "Crowley?"

There was no response from the Demon.

"Crowley?", Castiel asked again, louder than before.

"Yeah?", Crowley replied back, his voice clipped, his head giving a slight jerk.

"Crowley, you have to trust that we're going to get out of this."

Crowley frowned. "What?", he asked simply.

"I've faced worse odds than this as a soldier of Heaven. And Father has surely seen the Old Ones breaking from their confinement. He will not let us stand alone." Castiel turned back to the creatures from the depths, watching even the moonlight itself getting swallowed up by their dark, scaly skin. He listened to their hisses and growls. His hand tightened on his Angel Blade, which had begun glowing with a subtle pure light once the creatures had appeared. He felt a surge of confidence, a pure kind of confidence in his mission and purpose. His thoughts were clear. He would stop this threat, he and his fellow Angels. Then he would find a way to close the door to Purgatory, and protect the lock to the realm of the Old Ones. He scanned the faces of his fellow Angels and saw that same grim determination on their faces. His looked for his past self, but he had disappeared when Joshua had. He grimaced, thoughts drifting before focusing back on Crowley, who had turned his head to him, a look of complete disbelief on his face. Castiel frowned.

"Castiel?", Crowley said slowly.

"Yes?", he answered carefully.

"You are such a bloody _idiot_ sometimes!", Crowley spat, turning his head back to the thousands of Old Ones on the shore advancing on them.

"What?!", Castiel shouted back in annoyance.

"Just _look_ at that out there!", Crowley yelled back, his arm waving out at the army of monsters. "And your answer is 'Daddy's gonna save us?' Really? Answer me this; since when did your Father give a _damn_ about what happens to us down here? Oh, sure, the occasional burnt tree or demand that someone sacrifice his son as a show of faith or something, but support in the face of something like this?" Crowley shook his head. "He's never going to show up here, Castiel. And do you know why?" Crowley looked back to Castiel, eyes blazing with fury. "Because he's a bloody coward, Castiel."

"What did you say?" Castiel growled, grabbing Crowley's arm and spinning him around.

Crowley glared back in contempt and ripped his arm away.

"You heard me, choir-boy!," he shouted. "I said he's a bloody coward! He could have stopped all of this. At any point. But no." Crowley's voice cut off and he turned his head away swiftly. "No, not Him. Not His Allmighty Wisdom-ness. No, He just let's you open up the gates to Purgatory...twice I might add, and allows _this_ to come pouring out. And where is He, Castiel? If He's so All-Powerful, where is He? Why doesn't He _bloody HELP US OUT ONCE IN A WHILE_?!"

Crowley stormed off a few paces, breathing hard, back to Castiel, who watched him, stunned.

"Are...are you saying that this is my fault?", Castiel said finally, voice just over a whisper.

Crowley let out a deep breath and turned back around. "What?", he asked, his eyes tired and red-rimmed.

"The gates...I...I'm the one that opened them. Father...He...I guess that He must have needed me to do that. He has a plan, you know." Castiel turned away, frowning, shoulders slumping. "A Fallen Angel like me. That's the only one that could have done this..." His Blade dropped from his limp hand and fell with a heavy thump into the sand.

Crowley sighed. "Castiel, Castiel...I'm not saying that." He walked over and put a hand on the Angel's shoulder. Castiel turned towards him. "I'm saying that it's His," Crowley said, turning his eyes briefly skyward. "It's some kind of game to them. To all of the high-and -mighty, apparently. We're just the poor bastards stuck on the chess board."

Castiel looked away.

"We're going to die here, aren't we?"

Crowley shrugged, and a sudden smile appeared on his face. "Probably. But hey, look at the bright side."

Castiel looked back, confused. "What bright side?"

Crowley shrugged, patting the Angel on the shoulder and handing him back his Blade.

"I've got nothing, actually. But pick up that damned blade anyway, choir-boy, and let's see if we can at least take a few of these bastards with us." He smiled and clapped Castiel hard on the shoulder again. "C'mon, you've convinced me. Let's have us a fight then, shall we?" His eyes blazed bright red, and he stood up straight, yelling as the monsters started to close the last few yards to them.

"Come get some, ye slimy, smelly beasties! Come to Papa Crowley!""

He flung his hand out and a few of the Old Ones flew backwards violently into the second rank, bursting aflame with hellfire as they crashed into the mass. They roared in fury and defiance and flung themselves at the small group of Angels and Demons.

* * *

Castiel stared at the glowing runes in Crowley's lab. He could feel the power of Purgatory flowing into his vessel, millions of souls...the energy filling him beyond his limits, the universe unlocking and unraveling before him – a child's plaything ready to bend to his will.

 _This is wrong_ , he felt a voice whispering to him deep in his thoughts. _Stop this now_. He shook it away, aware of Dean and Sam's eyes on him. He felt a wave of...was it shame? He looked back up and saw Raphael there. Her eyes were wide with fear. He smiled, forgetting his feelings of doubt. The Demon Crowley had already fled before him. It didn't matter. He had his uses. They'd talk later. But _Raphael_...

"Now, what's the matter, Raphael? Somebody clip your wings?", he growled menacingly.

Raphael's eyes widened even further, a mixture of pure fear, and also uncontrolled rage.

"Castiel, please. You let the demon go, but not your own _brother_?", she asked, in complete disbelief.

Castiel shrugged. "The demon I have plans for. You on the other hand...", he released a burst of energy with a snap of his fingers. Raphael disintegrated in an instant. Castiel smiled to himself. _So little energy needed to destroy an Archangel_ , he mused to himself. _There's so much I can do with this_... He turned back to the Winchesters, meeting Dean's eyes. He could see the fear there...mixed with... _what was that_? _Concern_? Castiel frowned. Why would Dean need to be concerned anymore? The voice inside of him shouted louder, but Castiel ignored it, completely paying it no heed. It wasn't important. Instead he focused on the brothers. He could make them understand. He _had_ to...

"So, you see, I _saved_ you." he said smoothly, trying to reassure them. Let them be calm...

"Sure thing, Cas. Thank you, " Dean answered back quickly, but warily, his eyes focused on him.

Castiel frowned, they still didn't _understand_.

"You doubted me, _fought_ against me, but I was right all along."

"Okay, Cas, you were. We're sorry. Now let's just defuse you, okay?", Dean answered, licking his lips.

Castiel cocked his head, not comprehending."What do you mean?"

Dean tried his best to be charming, disarming, smiling at Cas in intervals, as if talking to a particularly dangerous child.

"You're full of nuke. It's not safe. So, before the eclipse ends, let's get them souls back to where they belong."

Castiel sighed inwardly. They didn't understand. How could he _still_ not understand?

"Oh no, they belong with me."

"No, Cas, it's it-it's scrambling your brain." Castiel watched as he saw real fear start to appear in Dean's eyes. He set his jaw. He had to show them. _Yet still_ he had to show him.

"No, I'm not finished yet. Raphael had many followers, and I must punish them all severely."

"Listen to me. Listen, I know there's a lot of bad water under the bridge, but we were family once, " Dean said, talking quickly, desperation entering into his tone. "I'd have died for you. I almost did a few times. So if that means anything to you... Please. I've lost Lisa, I've lost Ben, and now I've lost Sam. Don't make me lose you too. You don't need this kind of juice anymore, Cas. Get rid of it before it kills us all."

"You're just saying that because I _won_. Because you're afraid." He felt, rather than saw Sam moving behind him, picking up Raphael's fallen Blade. He shook his head slightly. They just wouldn't _listen_...

"You're not my family, Dean. I have no family," he said coldly. He felt alone, as if he was watching everything from a long way away. Still a voice somewhere yelled at him, trying to get him to _hear_...

The Blade slammed between his shoulders, and he barely felt it. _Is it the new power?_ , he wondered. He shook his head. He could hear the voice a bit more clearly... _what are you doing, Castiel? Stop yourself, now!_...he frowned and pulled the Blade out, letting it fall, bloodless, to the floor.

"I'm glad you made it, Sam. But the angel blade won't work, because I'm not an angel anymore. I'm your new God. A better one. So you will bow down and profess your love unto me, your Lord. Or I shall destroy you."

Somewhere deep within him, the voice began to _scream_...

* * *

Suriel stood in the wreckage of Heaven. Pillars still collapsed around her as the ground shook. She regarded the pillar of energy rising from Earth and spat in contempt. A Portal, ripping through all time and space. A Portal leading through the hidden realm of Purgatory, a Portal that, once opened, would expose the Gates to the Darkness, to the Old Ones themselves. God's opposite. The end of all things.

The most important thing that the Angels were tasked to protect. The only reason they were on Earth in the first place. And it was the one thing they had failed to do.

She felt the flutter of energy as something...something _powerful_...manifested behind her. Suriel frowned.

"What do you want?", she whispered. "Can't you see that it's too late?"

"It's never too late to come home," a voice that surprised her to her very core spoke. She whirled, her eyes narrowing in disbelief.

"And I've brought some help," The Archangel continued, cocking his head at Suriel. "Maybe we can get through this after all."

Suriel stared for long moments. Marble and dust flew around lazily in the air. There was a rumble in the distance as yet another palace collapsed.

" _You_..." she finally managed to reply hoarsely.

* * *

The Old One spun away from Castiel hissing and kicking up clods of blood-stained sand. Castiel grunted in response and swung his free arm at the creature trying to attack from behind him. His fist landed with a satisfying crack and the monster fell to the sand in a mass of teeth, muscles and barbed tentacles.

He saw out of the corner of his vision another flash of white light. Another Angel had fallen. They were losing, quickly. There were maybe three of them left, plus Crowley, who, surprisingly, was holding a literal beachhead of his own, standing atop a small reef and blasting away Old Ones by the dozens. His red fire was like a beacon over the ocean. Unfortunately, it just drew more and more attention to him. Castiel watched as more and more ranks of the monsters moved towards him. It wouldn't be long now. Is seemed that Crowley sensed that as well, he cackled loudly as his hair whipped around in a wild, wet web in the air over his head. His eyes blazed with a madness that made Castiel shudder.

He felt a claw grab his ankle and he lost his balance. He pushed against the sand but could find no good leverage there as whatever it was dragged him towards it's allies, a mass a darkness and claws and teeth that would consume him quickly if he didn't get clear.

He swung his Blade down in a wild chop and connected with the thing holding his leg. It let out a howl , but did not release him. He gritted his teeth and tried to stand, only to feel claws scrambling over his back. He heard the fabric of his trenchcoat tearing as it clawed at him, sinking it's talons in until it found the flesh in his back. The weight of the thing made him fall forward onto the beach, pinned to the ground face down.

Castiel screamed in pain and fury and desperately tried to turn, but to no avail. He felt fists and claws pounding on him. Sometime during the onslaught, he lost his Blade. He started to see darkness at the edges of his vision and could feel himself moving away from his vessel.

 _Father_ , he whispered to himself, _Father, why have you not helped us?_ As he slipped further and further into darkness, the answer came to him.

 _Because I've failed you_ , he thought to himself, the last sparks of hope going out in him. _I wasn't strong enough_ , he thought. _I thought...I thought that I could make a_ difference...

Somewhere, from what seemed like very far away, a horn blasted from the Heavens. Castiel felt the blows stop and heard the creatures howl in fury. He raised his blurred vision to the sky, blood dripping from his chin, sand covering his mouth.

The horn blast sounded once again, louder than before. Castiel's vision began to clear as he saw the darkness break overhead.

Clouds moved away from each other forming a circle, and from this circle, blazing white comets of light came streaming down, each one slamming into the sand and sending up a explosion of earth. Hundreds of them, no, _thousands_ of them...Castiel lifted his battered head even further, and saw forms standing inside of the rings of settling sand and dust...he saw the darkened wings and glow of silver plate. He heard the ring of Angel Blades being freed like a crystal chime in the stormy air. The Old Ones howled in defiance, but began to scramble back to the sea.

An Angel, shining brighter than the rest, came forward out of the sudden light and reached a hand down to Castiel. Castiel took it, and, with a grunt, let himself be helped back up to his feet.

The Archangel studied him, a curious look on his face. Castiel felt metal slap into his palm, and looked down to see that the Archangel had handed him his Blade back.

"Lose something?", the Archangel asked, smiling and cocking an eyebrow playfully at him.

Castiel found himself smiling back involuntarily.

"Gabriel," he said, his voice full of thanks, and relief. "You...you are a sight for sore eyes."

Gabriel moved his head back questioningly. Castiel smiled back.

"I'll explain later," he grunted, rolling his shoulders and turning back to the retreating wall of monstrosities.

"Now, let's say we try that again," he growled, as he strode forward in the blood-soaked sand, the Angels followed at a run. He glanced up at the reef where Crowley stood, or more accurately, knelt, breathing heavily, and gave him a salute with his Blade. Crowley's face was awash in relief, and grinning widely.

"About time, Choir-Boys!", he shouted down at them. "Now, give 'em hell!"

A few of the Angels shot him a quizzical look, but continued the forward charge.

Castiel, with the entire Host of Heaven at his back, crashed into the Old Ones like a wave of avenging light, and the whole of Atlantis shook with the fury of it.


	2. Ripples in Time

**Ripples in Time**

Suriel was just shaking off the shock of the two new visitors when there was a sudden shimmering in the air and a prickling sensation at the back of her neck. Her companions must have sensed it as well, because they simultaneously frowned and stared back at the direction of the disturbance.

A large group of figures began to materialize on the white marble road. Suriel squinted at them, let out a gasp, and drew her Blade, bracing herself.

The figures resolved themselves fully before her eyes, two teenagers, shining with energy, standing confidently in front of several other teenagers, who for their part were looking around in shock, trying to take in the scene of chaos surrounding them as Heaven crumbled. Suriel gritted her teeth.

"Well, hello there, Sister," the Angel in the teenagers vessel said, smiling politely, eyes glittering. "It's been a long time." The Demon smiled towards Suriel as well; a cold, calculating smile, conveying, but absent, of all emotion.

Suriel glared. She tried to identify the energy patterns of the Angel and the Demon, but they wobbled and wavered in her gaze, seemingly in flux. She turned her head to her companions, but kept her eyes on the Angel and Demon.

"Gabriel, I don't know them."

Gabriel twisted up a corner of his mouth. He had shown up a few seconds before the Angel, Demon and their 'Heralds' had. Suriel had been, encouragingly, shocked to see him still alive. He wasn't losing his touch for the dramatic at least.

"I do," he half growled. "How 'bout you, Red?", he asked, turning to the woman to his left.

Rowena grimaced in concentration.

"Can't say that I do, lad. Seems like they are something, in-between, if you catch my meaning. Not quite Demon, not quite Angel." She let out a half exasperated, almost bored breath. "But you say that you know them?"

Suriel looked over at Gabriel in anticipation.

"Sure do," he said, turning a steely gaze back to the Angel and Demon. He watched them carefully, waiting for a reaction, a tell, a twitch. They simply smiled at him, waiting, stone-still. He smiled. They didn't believe him. Bluff called. _Fine by me_ , he thought.

"Figured it out back at the club, actually. Them _trying_ to kill me and all let the cat out of the bag, so to speak. See, I'm the one that wrote the book on staying in-cog-nito. Once you two thought that you had taken me out, I reverted to energy and just followed you, always just out of your range of detection. Wasn't long after that that I overheard the big secret." He shrugged. " Better than the NSA, if you ask me. But, what I can't figure out, exactly, is _how_ you two managed to keep everyone fooled for so long. I mean, it isn't as though people weren't on guard, you know? Can't have either of you two whack-a-moles sticking your head out for very long. Bad for...well, _everyone_."

The Demon cocked his head to the side. "Simple answer, really." His cold blue eyes turned towards Rowena. "Why don't you ask the witch?" he asked, nodding at her.

Rowena held a hand against her chest. "Me? Whatever do you mean by that? I've met with you two exactly once. You _threatened_ me...you told me that you were going to take Hell away from me," She stared harder. "Believe me, lambs, I wouldn't have helped you out for free, you know? I've _never_ made any kind of deal with you two."

"Oh yes you did," the Angel answered quickly. "We were wearing different forms at the time, to be sure, but make no mistake, it was you who freed us."

"What are you bleedin' talking about!?", Rowena shouted back in protest. "I've never freed anything like you in my entire..." She stopped, and the blush in her cheeks went white. Her shoulders slumped in realization and her eyes went wide. "Oh," she said softly. "Oh...oh dear me..."

The Demon nodded. "Uh-huh. By the way, thanks for that."

Suriel looked back at Rowena in confusion. "You know them as well? Who are they?"

"Wanna tell her yourself, Brother?", Gabriel answered, staring down the Angel and Demon. "C'mon, you know you want to. Nothing like the Big Reveal. It's got it's own chapter in the Supervillian Handbook."

The Demon snorted. The Angel's eyes blazed with fury. "It hardly matters, " the Angel replied. "You have no business here in Heaven, Gabriel. And as for you, Sister, " he hissed, flicking hs eyes quickly towards Suriel. "I would like to thank you for your _temporary_ custodianship of Heaven. Your services, however, are no longer required."

Gabriel took a dangerous step forward. "Oh, that's rich," he snarled. "Of all the people that have no business in Heaven..." Movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. Rowena was inching back into a ruined building, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible, her eyes still wide with fear and staring, unblinking, at the Angel and the Demon. Gabriel saw her and shook his head in disappointment. He turned back, looking directly at the Demon. "It's time for you to go." He held his Blade in front of him, Suriel stepping up to his side, as he faced the group. His eyes scanned the teenagers standing behind the Angel and Demon. "They have nothing to do with this, fellas. How 'bout letting the field trip go home, huh?"

"The Heralds stay," the Angel snarled. "You think they're helpless? Allow us to demonstrate how mistaken you are about that." He turned around and faced a lanky teen wearing alligator boots. "Jesse, please show them the door." He smiled back at Gabriel and Suriel triumphantly.

"Ummmmmm, Brother," the Demon said quickly, grabbing the Angel's arm. "Wait a second, maybe we should actually handle this _ourselves_...there's something that you should know about..."

The Angel ripped his arm free. "What are you talking about? We never counted on Gabriel being here as well as Suriel. We need Jesse's power now more than ever."

"Yeah, normally I'd _agree_ with you there, but..." the Demon said in a rush, turning his eyes nervously towards Jesse. "Oh...oh crap."

Red and black swirling energy flew out of Jesse's hands, engulfing everything. Lightning flashed in the clouds of power, and the very air seemed to scream.

* * *

Castiel watched the black blood drip from his Angel's blade into the sand on the beach of Atlantis. He noted in wonder that he didn't even need to shake it off, it seemed to flow off of the silver metal of it's own will, as if the Angelic metal repelled it.

He lifted his tired head and scanned the beach. Bodies, Angel and Old Ones alike, were piled up in the surf. He saw Gabriel organizing the remaining Angels from the Host into ranks to go into the city. He lifted himself out of his crouch and worked his way over to him, wincing at the pain from seemingly every single joint.

Gabriel turned his eyes towards him as he approached. He nodded once more to the Angels, and came over the rest of the distance to Castiel.

"Brother...Castiel, isn't it?", Gabriel asked, his face smiling. Castiel smiled back involuntarily. It was uncanny how Gabriel could make people do that, no matter what the situation was.

"It seems that the Portal has been opened." He grimaced and stared back at the city. "Three times, linked." He shook his head. "No wonder Father was upset."

Castiel's eyes widened in wonder. "Father...?", he croaked out hoarsely. "You mean to say...it was _Father_ that sent you here...?"

"Well, yes," Gabriel replied frowning. "Who else has the command of the Hosts of Heaven?"

Castiel stared back at him, incredulous. _Of course_ , he thought, his shoulders slumping. _This is seven million years in the past. Father hasn't...disappeared yet._

"Well, thank you anyway," Castiel replied, his gaze turning back to the city. "Is there any way to close it?"

Gabriel followed his gaze and shrugged. "We can control the breach, for now. It will, naturally, have to be sealed at all three openings. Which means time-travel." He shuddered. "Never was a fan." His eyes looked back at Castiel, glinting mischievously. "You, on the other hand..."

Castiel nodded. "Yes, Gabriel, you are correct. I'm not from this time period."

Gabriel nodded knowingly. "How far have you come?", he asked, his eyes turning out to the sea and the approaching sunrise.

"Far," Castiel replied. "From the time of the third breach, as a matter of fact."

"Well, that's something," Gabriel grumbled. " We know where two of them are." He looked back at Castiel. "We can seal the one here, I believe, if the other two are sealed as well. Do you have any idea where the second may have occurred?"

Castiel let out a deep sigh and looked a the sand.

"I do, actually."

Gabriel smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. "Well, that's good news then, Castiel! If you can shut down the other two, we can seal the Portal once again."

Castiel grimaced and looked away.

"What's wrong?", Gabriel asked. "Castiel?"

"I know where the second breach is, Gabriel, because I...I am actually responsible for causing it."

Gabriel's face hardened. "Unfortunate, Brother," he said after a while. "Then, you know what has to be done to seal it.", he said as a statement, rather than a question.

Castiel nodded, turning his steel-blue eyes back to Gabriel. "Actually, I might be able to stop all three. All at once."

Gabriel's eyes widened.

"In Father's name, Castiel, what has been happening to you?" he whispered. He stared at Castiel for a bit, then shook his head. He rested his hand on Castiel's shoulder. "I want you to know...if there's anything...anything that I can do to help you..."

"Actually there is," Castiel said, turning to see Crowley walking up to them. Gabriel frowned at him questioningly, but looked back at Castiel.

"The Emperor escaped. He had an Angel with him. Me, actually...my former self. I need you to help me locate them both."

Gabriel's face drained of all color. "Castiel...do you mean to...?" He grabbed Castiel by his shoulders and glared at him. "Is there no other way?", he whispered at him in a rush.

"Did I miss something?", Crowley asked, frowning at the two Angels. "Looks serious..."

Gabriel kept staring at Castiel, then slowly released his shoulders and nodded. Castiel looked at Crowley and shook his head.

"No, Crowley. Everything's fine. We need to pick up something before heading back, though."

Crowley cocked his head. "So, we're going home, then are we?"

Castiel nodded. "Gabriel has the power to send us back. And now we know what caused the Portal to appear. Crowley...it has to be stopped. With the Portal opened, the Old Ones are nearly free..." He glanced at Gabriel. "The Seven Archangels...they are the Guardians of the Lock that keeps them imprisoned. If they are removed, or killed..."

Crowley nodded, rubbing a hand against his beard and whistling low. "Well, that explains why Archangels have been targeted", he mused. "With them out of the way, and Purgatory opened..."

"...The Old Ones return," Castiel finished. He glanced back to Gabriel, who was watching him, a grim expression on his face. "We can't allow that to happen."

"Obviously," Crowley replied sarcastically. He looked back at Gabriel. "Castiel, go on ahead. I'd like a word with your big brother there, if I may."

Castiel narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

Crowley shrugged. "He's got a stake in this too, doesn't he? I just want to make sure he's fore-warned, so to speak."

Castiel shook his head. "Crowley, you can't tell him about future events. The timeline will not allow it. I've told you, Fate and her sisters..."

Crowley waved his hand in the air. "Yes, yes, God's plan, I'm not an idiot, Castiel. Look, I won't tell him any specifics. I just want to cast a pebble into the lake, if you get my meaning."

"You want to...?" Castiel asked, frowning.

"I want to fix the game," Crowley answered quickly. Castiel still looked confused. Crowley rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"I'm going to cheat, OK?!", he yelled, waving his arms. Castiel crossed his arms, frowning deeply.

"Just...move along choir-boy. Trust me...no spoilers!", Crowley said, making a shooing motion, crossing his fingers over his heart, and then walking over to Gabriel.

Castiel watched him go and shook his head. It didn't matter what Crowley told Gabriel anyway. Fate was fate, and it was stronger than all of them.

He looked back out over the sea. The sun was halfway past the waves now. Castiel watched in wonder at the mix of color and light over the crystal blue water, and wondered how many of these he was going to see again.


	3. Game Plan

**Game Plan**

Castiel, Crowley and their small entourage of Angels got back to Crowley's Casino when the sun was just rising towards it's apex at midday. They were covered in sand, dried, black blood and various grime, their clothing torn and ripped to near tatters. The Demon guards at the Casino's entrance raised their eyebrows at their appearance.

"Is everything in order, Sir?", one of them queried as the reached the door. Crowley smiled stiffly and gave the Demon a brief clap on the shoulder as they passed.

"Peachy," he said, his voice dry. "Please inform the staff that I will be needing some new attire. And a bath. And some food...", he paused, his brow wrinkling in thought. "And now that I think of it, get me that little weasel Jy-shiaj. I need some information. Bring him to my meeting room at dusk, no later. We need to get this show on the road before nightfall."

The Demon frowned. "Nightfall, Sir? What happens at nightfall?"

Crowley cast a look back over his shoulder at Castiel, who met his eyes and frowned in question.

"Bad things, very bad things," Crowley grumbled in reply. "If I were you, I'd pack a bag and head out of the city." Crowley's voice raised at the last, so that the other guards could hear as well. Their eyes widened and a few of them exchanged knowing glances, a couple nodded to each other.

"We'll...get right on that, Sir," the Demon replied. Crowley smiled and nodded, patting the guard's shoulder quickly twice more before moving inside. Castiel glanced left and right at the guards and his brow furrowed. But he continued into the Casino, following Crowley.

When they had reached the living suites, Castiel removed his torn and bloodied trenchcoat and fell heavily into a padded chair with a groan. He rubbed between his eyes with two fingers, head down. Crowley leaned on an ornate mahogany table, on which a few books were stacked, and a chess-like Atlantian gameboard. Crowley had attempted to learn the game, but it was absolutely nothing like chess, so he had lost interest almost from the start. The strategies involved were too straight-forward for him. It involved maneuvering more powerful pieces into position before attacking. There were no hidden moves, no trickery. Not his game. But the figure carvings were very, very nice.

"Crowley," Castiel said from the chair, breaking Crowley from his reverie. He looked up from the table, and saw Castiel regarding him with those steel-blue eyes questioningly. He frowned.

"Yes, Castiel?" he replied, returning the gaze and masking any emotion. The Angel looked like he had something on his mind.

"What was all that back there?", Castiel asked, his eyes flicking back to the Casino's entrance.

Crowley frowned, feigning ignorance. "What was all what back where?", he asked cautiously.

Castiel stood up and walked a few paces towards him. "Stop, Crowley, just...stop. I'm in no mood for games."

Crowley narrowed his eyes. "Castiel, I really have _no idea_ what you're talking..."

Castiel looked down at the table and...smiled. Crowley actually felt a chill go through his spine. It was devoid of any emotion, that smile. The Angel was very, very serious about something, and looked to be completely out of patience. Crowley braced himself as Castiel looked back up, his eyes red-rimmed and weary, but blazing with a promise of impending violence. Crowley gulped.

"The guards, Crowley. What did you just have them do?"

Crowley cocked his head to the side, considering.

"Guards, Castiel? Why would you think...?"

Castiel growled and took several swift and dangerous steps towards Crowley, who took a few defensive steps backwards and found himself flat up against a bookcase.

"Crowley, how long have we worked together? Did you really think I wouldn't know when you were plotting something? That was a message that you just gave them," Castiel said, voice low and dangerous. "What did you tell them to do? And I would _not_ suggest lying to me again."

Crowley dropped the ignorance mask and his face became stoic, calm. He considered the Angel for a few seconds, seemingly deciding something.

"Fine, Castiel," he finally said. "Well done. Yes, that was a command."

Castiel nodded, his shoulders relaxing a bit. "What was it?"

"What do you _think_ it was, Castiel?", Crowley answered, practically hissing.

Castiel's posture shifted. He looked back at Crowley, his anger coming back. "I'm asking _you_..." he began, taking a step towards Crowley.

"Uh-uh, Castiel, that's not how this works right now. You say that you can read me like a book? Well, you're going to have to _earn_ that. Full marks for seeing through the code, bravo, but if you want to play in the big-leagues, then you need to get a lot more insightful. You can't just bully the secrets out of everyone."

Castiel's eyes burned with increasing frustration. "Why not?", he snarled. "It works for you, doesn't it?"

Crowley shook his head slowly. "Oh, no, Castiel, you have got that all wrong. Torture is a _horrible_ means of obtaining information." He walked away from the book case to stand on the other side of the table from Castiel, who followed his movements, body straight, only his head turning. "Truth is, inflict enough pain, and people will say anything to make it stop, whether it's the truth or not doesn't even matter anymore." He met Castiel's eyes and gave him a full smile. "No, what I do, I do for _fun_ , Castiel. Now, once again, _what do you think it meant_?"

Castiel placed his hands on the table and glared at Crowley for a few seconds. Finally, he broke the eye contact and let out a frustrated breath.

"Fine. Don't tell me, I can find out myself." He paced away a few steps and stared back into the hall. He watched the Demon servants movements for a few minutes and then turned back to Crowley, who was still watching Castiel intently.

"You told them to get out of Atlantis," Castiel said slowly.

Crowley nodded, eyes glittering.

Castiel nodded to himself. "And you said something bad was going to happen at nightfall. I assume you were referring to Gabriel's plan to seal the breach."

Crowley nodded again.

Castiel paced back and forth a few times. He slowed and turned slowly back to Crowley.

"Gabriel never told us _how_ he was going to do it. You're assuming..."

Crowley raised his eyebrows. "Go on, choir-boy, you're almost there."

Castiel looked towards the ceiling. "Gabriel's going to flood the city," he said simply.

"Bingo," Crowley replied. "You told me yourself, Castiel, there's no escaping that. It's too big of an event. So..."

"...so you wanted to be prepared for that eventuality," Castiel said, his head turning slowly back to Crowley. "You took precautions..."

Crowley began to smile, genuinely this time.

"...to protect your money that you earned here...", Castiel finished. He groaned, wiping a hand slowly over his face. He looked back at Crowley incredulously. "Is that _it_?", he asked, his voice raised. "All of that deception to try to save your...what?! Your _treasure_?!"

Crowley gave Castiel an unapologetic shrug. "I told you already, Castiel, that I wanted to protect my investment here...flood or no flood. There's a ship leaving the main Atlantis port for India, or what in this time-period passes for India, and on it will be several unbreakable, and might I also mention, large sarcophagi with a fortune in gold and jewels in each one, to be locked away until yours truly goes to collect it seven million years from now. Now, answer me, was that so hard to puzzle out?"

Castiel shook his head in disbelief. "All of that for money?", he asked, slumping back into his chair.

Crowley watched him and cocked his head. "It helps to always understand your opponent's motivations, Castiel. Me? I am quite often a very simple creature." Castiel shot him a withering look. Crowley smiled back. "But I got something else out of this, too."

Castiel frowned, puzzled. "What's that?", he asked.

"I got to teach you about anticipating and reading an adversary. I'll make a proper cohort out of you yet, Castiel," Crowley said, grinning. Castiel narrowed his eyes and shook his head.

"Speaking of reading your opponent," Crowley continued, unperturbed, "We need to get caught up here on our next move I think. Come over here, Castiel, you get a place at the grown-ups table." He moved the gameboard out from the corner of the table to the center, and took the pieces off of it, setting them to the side. Castiel got up reluctantly and looked up at Crowley, waiting.

"Ok, what do we know so far?", Crowley began, selecting a pair of carved figures from the side and placing them standing on the board. "There's you, and there's me, teamed up by a Prophecy from Chuck to prevent the unraveling of the universe."

"Crowley?"

"Yes, Castiel?"

"Why do I have to be the Cherub?"

Crowley frowned down at the two playing pieces, one, a hulking, slavering Demon with foot long claws, the other a baby-faced Cherub drawing back a tiny bow, a wide smile on it's pudgy face.

"It looks just like you, Castiel."

Castiel cocked his head, his eyes narrowed. "It absolutely does not."

"But it's the only Angel in the set, Castiel, OK? Look, it doesn't matter..."

Castiel plucked the Cherub off of the board and replaced it with a piece carved to look like crashing waves. Crowley frowned down at it.

"You're the Ocean?", he asked, his eyebrows raising.

"Waves," Castiel murmured in reply, almost petulantly. "It's closer to my true form, in any case..."

Crowley sighed. " _Wunderbar_ , now, if you don't mind, may we continue?" Castiel nodded.

"So, there's me and the Wavelength, and the Prophecy. Our first case, we run into a cult summoning Old Ones led by one Joshua Vandecourte." He placed a figure of a warthog on the board on the opposite end from the figures of Castiel and himself.

"This cult was supposedly making Old Ones, human hybrids. To what end?"

"When I was inside of his thoughts, Joshua himself was seated on a throne," Castiel replied. "Humans were lined up to offer him their...well, their nightmares. It gave the Old Ones form."

Crowley nodded. "Because the Old Ones can't manifest in this realm without thought anchoring them here. That's how Charlie was able to transform that big one that flooded New Orleans." Crowley scratched his head. "Then Joshua pulled a Houdini on us and disappeared. Was he also a Hybrid? He acted as if he didn't want his Masters to flood the world."

Castiel shook his head. "Consider what we know now, Crowley", he said. "Joshua is here, now, posing as the Emperor. He captured a past version of myself and programmed him, well, me, to open Purgatory. That means he knew all along who we were."

"He's been stringing us along, then, " Crowley muttered. "Testing us, prodding us along in a pre-chosen path. Bloody warthog is too good for him..." Crowley replaced the Joshua warthog with a bulbous toad leaping in the air. "So, what is he, Castiel? Hybrid? Human? Other?"

"I'm guessing one of the lesser Old Ones," Castiel replied. "Something that can observe the patterns of time, manipulate them to his own means."

Crowley's brow furrowed. "Not a big bad, then?"

Castiel looked up, his eyes tired. "No, Crowley, we haven't seen _anything_ even resembling a true 'big bad' yet. The Old Ones, the Masters, they are beings of enormous power, literally on par with God as a group. Joshua is some kind of lieutenant, an intermediary. He's preparing the way, opening the Gates, aligning the timelines, and creating the Hybrids." He shuddered. "The Hybrids will control the humans and form the link between the chaotic energy of the Old Ones and the living universe, allowing the Masters to take form here."

Crowley nodded. "The Old One's versions of Angels, so to say, shepherding and protecting humanity for their own means..." Castiel shot him an angry look. "Don't sugar-coat it Castiel, everyone is out for their own interests, and everyone on this board thinks that their goals are the worthier ones. Now is _not_ the time to get hypocritical."

Castiel huffed but looked back down at the board. "So, Joshua, whatever he is, needs to unlock the Gates to his Master's realm..."

"Right," Crowley answered, snatching up a carving of a large ring and putting it down in the middle of the board. "And for that, he needs to accomplish several things. First and foremost, he needs to open Purgatory three times." Crowley shrugged. "The first two times, he can do that with an Angel, in this case, unfortunately, you, as we have determined. But the third, he said, there was a key, a Song or something, provided by an Archangel, that opened it the final time."

Castiel nodded. "Songs open portals. Or lock them. The final locks of Purgatory were sealed by the Archangels, however, that means only a Archangel knows that Song."

"Then there's the final lock, which the Archangels are the guardians of. That's why they've been killing them." He placed seven soldier-type figures on the board. He looked up at Castiel.

"Who's dead and who's left?", he asked.

"From the original seven, Raphael, Ramiel, Michael, Uriel, who Abel took over for..."

"...before we killed him," Crowley interrupted. Castiel shot him an annoyed glance. "Oh, sorry, please continue.", he said, waving his hand over the board.

Castiel sighed. "Those four are dead. Suriel, Raguel and possibly Gabriel are all that's left," Castiel murmured.

Crowley frowned. " Wasn't Lucifer an Archangel as well? Don't the Old Ones have to kill him?"

Castiel shook his head. "He's Fallen. He can't protect the Lock, even if he were willing to do so in the first place." He studied the soldier pieces and shook his head. "It must be Raguel, the Archangel of Vengeance. I can't see it as being Suriel or Gabriel."

Crowley knocked over all but three of the soldiers, and placed the them near the ring figure. He then placed two more figures on the board, next to Joshua, a snake and the cherub again. He looked up expectantly at Castiel, who looked at the cherub, then gave Crowley a brisk nod of approval. "So Joshua goes into business with these two. The Angel and the Demon." He frowned. "The Archangel is clear, he needs the Song, but why the Demon?"

Castiel frowned. "I'm not sure either. Let's not forget that somehow those two's energies have intermingled. They are no longer truly an Angel or a Demon."

Crowley rubbed his chin. "Then it's some kind of package deal. They keep calling each other 'Brother', which tells me they would not be willing to work without the other. The question is; what was the deal to begin with? What do they gain here helping the Old Ones take over the Universe?"

He placed several smaller figures around and behind the Angel and the Demon. "They assembled these 'Heralds' of theirs and gave them power. To what end?"

"Not as vessels," Castiel murmured, considering. "Although they are burning through those rather quickly."

Crowley's eyes widened. "Castiel, do you remember what that zombie-kid...what was his name again...? Oh yes...Leon, do you remember what he told us regarding what the Angel and Demon were going to do to us?"

Castiel frowned. "That we were 'history'. We concluded that that meant they were going to replace us in some way."

Crowley nodded quickly. "Castiel, what would happen if the Old Ones do manage this? Would the Earth, Heaven and Hell be destroyed, or simply...replaced?"

Castiel looked at the table. On one side were Castiel and Crowley and the seven Archangels, on the other was Joshua, with the the Angel and the Demon behind him, and several of the Heralds gathered behind them. "How many Heralds were there, Crowley...?" he whispered. "We never found that out." He flicked his eyes up at Crowley. He removed a couple of the Herald figures. "What if there are exactly seven..." he whispered, then he rotated the board slowly 180 degrees. "It's a mirror...", he said, whispering.

Crowley stared at the board for a long time, not breathing. "Negative energy instead of positive, but the basic structures intact. All new management. Instead of you running Heaven and me running Hell..."

"...that's why they needed a Demon," Castiel finished. "They need someone to run the new Hell."

"And that's the deal, then," Crowley said, straightening away from the table and putting his hands slowly in his pockets. "They get Heaven and Hell."

"And the Old Ones replace God." Castiel said. "Imprisoning Him, letting life feed them form and energy. He leaned on his hands over the table, his head bowed. "Crowley...I...we...have to stop them..."

Crowley grunted in agreement. "Then we bloody well do, Castiel."

Castiel looked up at him. "Did you have a plan?", he asked, hope in his voice.

Crowley shook his head. Castiel let his fall back down again. Crowley turned his to the side, considering the board once again. "But I know one thing," he said. "Now that I know what they're after, life just became a hell of a lot harder for that lot."

Castiel raised his head again. "Why's that?", he asked hoarsely.

"Because now I know which of their toys I need to take away from them," Crowley growled, sweeping his hand over the board, scattering the pieces over the table. "C'mon Castiel, let's get cleaned up and get the hell out of here," he said, turning towards his private chambers and removing his jacket.

Castiel stayed there staring at the scattered pieces, his eyes moving along the board until they came to a stop on the sculpture of the ring.


	4. Come Together, Right Now

**Come Together, Right Now**

Jesse's eyes opened slowly. The world around him blurred and the edges of his vision were dark. He watched swirls of dust rising from the silver bricks that he was laying on. They gradually came into focus and he took in a halting, painful lungful of air. He winced and his hand moved automatically to his side as he felt a stab of pain there. A rib was broken, most probably.

His thoughts began to clear with his vision. The last he recalled, he had let loose with everything at the Angel and the Demon, but the power he had released had somehow gone haywire; way too much, and way too out of control. It was much more than he had ever believed himself capable of wielding. It had burst from him and engulfed the Angel and the Demon. He frowned, remembering. The blast had carried through and past them, hitting Gabriel and Suriel as well. Jesse drew in another painful breath through his teeth, fear coursing through him. He stumbled forward to the spot where they had been standing, catching himself with his hand a couple of times as his legs couldn't hold him upright.

The swirling and settling dust came to rest over a wrecked body. Jesse squinted at the form, and the blackened wings stretching out to either side and knelt down beside it, gently turning it's head towards him.

Gabriel.

The Archangel's glassy eyes stared back at him, lifeless. Jesse closed his eyes for a second and whispered a silent apology. He shot his head back up and looked around, trying to find Suriel, the Angel, the Demon, _anyone_. He saw some shadows moving from the direction he had come from and unsteadily got to his feet, his hand out to his side. He summoned his power again, this time wary of only summoning a little, frightened that he would release another cataclysm if he wasn't careful.

He walked towards the movement, also turning his head slowly left and right, making sure he wasn't ambushed from the sides. His visibility was severely limited in the mist.

As he got closer, his vigil began to relax as he could make out the forms in more detail. It was the Heralds. He saw no sign of the Angel or the Demon anywhere. Most of the teens were helping each other off of the ground, as they appeared badly shaken, but not seriously injured. Jesse counted his blessings that they were out of the way of the blast at least, standing behind him.

"Is everyone allright?", he called out when he was just a few feet away. A few heads turned to him through the smoke.

"Jesse?", came Leon's voice tentatively from the group, a lean, shorter figure walked towards him and stopped just short of him. Leon met Jesse's eyes and shook his head, looking around after a few seconds.

"Man, I'm glad you're OK and all, but what the hell was that back there? You do that?"

Jesse nodded and swallowed hard against the lump in his throat.

"Yeah...yeah, I guess I did," he replied hoarsely.

Leon let out a low whistle. "Damn, Damien...man, remind me not to get on your bad side. No joke." Leon kept looking around him and finally settled his gaze back on Jesse. He shrugged.

"Looks like you totaled the place," Leon said softly. "Any sign of...?"

Jesse shook his head. "No. They're gone. I did find...Gabriel, though," Jesse answered, looking down at the ground.

"Dead?", Leon asked matter-of-factly.

Jesse nodded and looked up. "I just...I hope to hell I took those two with him." He looked down at his hands. "I don't understand."

"Don't understand what?", Leon asked, cocking his head to the side.

"That...that level of power. It was...I dunno, amplified somehow. I've never wielded that kind of power before." He frowned and looked around him. "Maybe it's this place. I dunno."

Leon nodded slowly. "Jesse? I don't want to remind you like this, man, but this is kinda exactly what that power was supposed to be used for, wasn't it?"

Jesse felt sick. Leon was right. The power of the cambrion was supposed to lay waste to the Hosts of Heaven. And that, apparently, was exactly what he had just done.

"You sure you're OK, man?". Leon asked after Jesse stayed silent for awhile.

Jesse shook his head to clear it. "Yeah...yeah, I guess I have to be, huh?" He looked around at the other six teens, who were all back to their feet. "We need to get out of here," he said looking around. His eyes came to rest on Sarah, the bookish girl that Leon had told him about back at Joshua's mansion. Her hair was messed up and a large crack ran through the left lens of her glasses. She stared back at him.

"Yeah?", she finally said, her voice full of defiance.

Jesse flinched involuntarily. But he wasn't surprised. They were all on the darker side of hostile anyway in their little band. Probably why they were recruited in the first place.

"You can open portals, right?", Jesse asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Sarah nodded.

"Think you can open one back to Earth?"

* * *

"Crowley?", Castiel asked, standing in the open doorway to Crowley's office. Crowley looked up from his desk. He had a few books open in front of him, and a satchel lay packed on the floor next to him, ready to go.

Crowley's eyes raised up from the book and regarded Castiel. "Yes, Castiel?"

"When you said that you were going to 'take their toys away from them', what were you talking about?"

Crowley closed the book slowly and leaned forward on the desk, studying the Angel. "Why are you asking, Castiel?", he asked, head slightly turning.

Castiel looked down, then back. "I...you weren't talking about the Heralds, were you?"

Crowley grimaced. "Why should that matter?", he asked Castiel, his expression still curious.

"They're just kids, Crowley. Confused, they don't know what they're mixed up in."

Crowley stood up and moved from behind the desk. He came to stand in front of Castiel and cocked his head to the side. "Those confused kids are extremely dangerous, Castiel. They're going to be the new Archangels. You are aware of that, right?"

Castiel met his gaze steadily. "They're _kids_ , Crowley," he answered, his voice full of warning.

"You think I'm not aware of that?", "Crowley answered. "Let me ask you this, then Castiel – don't you think that our Angel and Demon friends are aware of that as well?" Castiel frowned down at him, confused.

"What do you mean?"

Crowley sighed heavily. "It means that I don't think that you have considered that's exactly why our friends used teenagers as their new recruits, Castiel. It means I think they knew that this is _exactly_ how you would react to confronting them. You would hesitate, and in doing so, make no mistake, those _kids_ would kill you, Castiel."

Castiel blinked and opened his mouth to respond, but could think of no argument. Instead he stared furiously to the side.

"Look, Castiel," Crowley said finally, sighing again. "Don't blame yourself, it's an absolutely perfect strategy. Not only did they know that you'd be unwilling to attack them, but teenagers are a perfect target for offers of power. They're not experienced enough to think of the consequences and turn it down. Trust me, I know. They're the main source of currency in the Crossroads Demon business."

Castiel looked back at him, eyes narrowed. "You never went after teenagers."

Crowley shrugged, moving back to sit down behind the desk. "No challenge. I have pride in my work, Castiel, unlike some other Demons." He frowned, steepling his fingers and putting his feet up on the desk. "Don't worry, though, Castiel, they weren't what I was talking about."

Castiel nodded, his shoulders relaxing a bit. "What was it, then?"

"The portals to Purgatory. We need to find a way to close them again, breaking the connection."

"Is there actually a way to do that?", Castiel asked, moving to the desk and looking down at the books.

"That's what I need to find out," Crowley grumbled. "From this side, unfortunately not. It's like that little wanker Joshua said, they are linked three times, and permanently open."

"This side?"

Crowley nodded. "This side. But the other...", he swung the book around so Castiel could see the text that he was reading. It was a collection of information about the hierarchies of the Old Ones. Castiel raised an eyebrow.

"You're...going to try to close the door from the Realm of the Old Ones?", Castiel asked, incredulous. "Crowley, even if there was a way to do that, you could never get in. They'd rip you apart."

Crowley nodded again. "Oh yes, you are quite correct. But I wouldn't be the one going there."

Castiel frowned. "You...you want me to go?"

Crowley smiled from behind his fingers. "You think you'd do better than me?" Castiel watched him and Crowley shook his head. "No, no, Castiel, not you either. Let's just say that I have a way in there...and at least a... _semi_ -willing accomplice to pull of this particular act of sabotage."

"Crowley, what are you talking about? Who?"

Crowley huffed out heavily. "Promise not to get mad?"

"Crowley..."

Crowley held out his palms up in surrender. "OK, ok, but try to keep this in perspective. That's all I ask for." He studied Castiel's face carefully and cautiously before continuing. He raised his eyebrows and looked down at the desk.

"Do you remember the Old One that we...er...killed back in New Orleans? The first one, I mean, back in the swamp."

"Yes...", Castiel answered slowly, watching Crowley warily.

"Well, what if I told you that it wasn't completely dead...?"

Castiel's mouth opened a bit and hung there. "Crowley...did you...?"

Crowley shrugged. "What? So? I thought it would be important to study it, Castiel." He looked back up, his features stern. "And don't go telling me it wasn't a good idea, either," he continued, pointing a finger at him. "Now we can use it to go over to the other side and close those damned Portals."

Castiel's mouth closed and his brow furrowed in question. "What...how? How can...are you telling me that you can _control_ that thing...?"

"Well...'control' might be pushing it a bit..." Crowley answered hesitantly. "But, you know how you can tap into an Angel's thoughts with the right, um, shall we say, _acupuncture_ treatments?"

"Yes, please don't remind me," grumbled Castiel.

"Sorry," Crowley replied. "Well, same principle. But I can give it basic suggestions. Targets, if you will."

Castiel nodded and walked a few paces away, looking at the ceiling. He turned back to Crowley finally and crossed his arms. "And you were going to tell me this, when?"

Crowley's eyes twinkled. "When it was an opportune time, Castiel."

Castiel's eyes narrowed. "You mean whenever you couldn't figure out a way to use it for your own purpose."

Crowley gave him an unapologetic smile.

Castiel sighed. "I thought that we had decided that when we were working together, we weren't keeping vital information from each other."

Crowley turned his head, frowning. "When did we decide that?" Castiel gave him a look of disbelief, then shook his head.

"It's fine. I should have known..."

"Known what?", Crowley asked.

"Working with others. It isn't that different than when I was working with Sam and Dean...they...we...kept things from each other as well."

Crowley flinched.

"What?", Castiel asked.

"Hm?", Crowley asked innocently, making a show of looking back through the book.

"What was that?", Castiel asked, moving to the desk and staring closely at Crowley. "That's the second time that you've reacted strangely when I've mentioned Sam and Dean." He leaned closer. "Crowley, what's going on?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Crowley muttered.

"That," Castiel growled, sweeping his arm across the table, the contents clattering to the ground. Crowley looked up in shock, his face pale. "Was _not_ a question. It was an order."

Crowley leaned as far back as he could in his chair and swallowed hard. "Um, Castiel, could you, maybe...sit down for this, then?" His eye flicked over to one of the chairs in front of the desk.

"Why?", Castiel snarled.

"Well, quite frankly, you already have that 'gee, maybe it'd be a really good idea to smite Crowley' look in your eyes again, and I think it would make us both a lot more comfortable if you were a bit calmer, if you get my drift..."

Castiel looked back at the chair, and finally, with a grunt, sat down on the edge of it, leaning forward dangerously towards the Demon.

Crowley opened up a drawer on the desk and pulled out two glasses and a vial of the atrocious, but still alcoholic, Atlantian wine. He poured himself a few fingers and looked up at Castiel.

"Drink?", he asked simply. Castiel shook his head. Crowley sighed and took a sip of his own. "Don't say I didn't warn you...", he muttered.

"Crowley..." Castiel rumbled from the back of his throat.

Crowley swallowed his wine and held up a hand. "Fine, fine," he answered. He leaned back and studied Castiel. "Do you remember that video surveillance that I had set up on Suriel?"

"Yes...", Castiel answered slowly.

Crowley nodded. "Well, long story short, I kind of had one set up in the Bunker as well."

Castiel groaned and leaned back, rubbing the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes. "Why am I not surprised," he muttered. He opened his eyes and looked back at Crowley. "Where are you going with this?", he asked, an edge of worry creeping into his voice.

Crowley let out a deep breath."They were captured, Castiel," he said gently.

"What?! When?!", Castiel exclaimed, leaping up from the chair. Crowley leaned back further defensively.

"Just after Gabriel was killed," Crowley answered quickly. "After the Prophet sent them packing. The Angel and the Demon were waiting for them back there, and..."

"And what, Crowley?!"

"They took them. Said that they weren't going to allow them to exit the playing field."

Blind, hot anger flared in Castiel's eyes, went out and he finally slumped back into the chair.

"Why, Crowley? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Do you realize how bloody unfocused you get whenever the Winchesters are involved, Castiel? Besides, Chuck had _just told us_ not to let them get mixed up in any of this. The last thing we needed to do was let ourselves get drawn back into that. And, like I said, they kidnapped them. It could have been worse, Castiel. A whole lot worse. When we find the Angel and the Demon, then we find Dean and Sam."

Castiel glared at him, but the fight had gone completely out of his eyes. "That wasn't your call to make, Crowley," he answered wearily.

Crowley tilted his head, teeth clenched. "It was the _right_ call, Castiel," he hissed.

Castiel got up slowly and headed for the door. He glanced back over his shoulder at the entrance, not meeting Crowley's eyes.

"I...I wouldn't expect you to understand this. But they are my friends, Crowley. My _friends_. It was never your right to keep that from me. I don't care how much you thought that you were protecting me." His shoulders slumped. "Get your things. We're leaving. And when we get back, send your monster to the Portals. If it fails, then I do things my way." He stepped into the hall and turned back around, looking at Crowley. "Without you," he said, before moving away.

Crowley stared at the doorway for a long time before picking the glass up again and draining it. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and set the glass down heavily on the empty desk. He then swung at it with the back of his hand, sending it crashing into the wall. He leaned back in his chair and stared into space.

"It was the right call...", he whispered to himself, his jaw working in frustration.

The candle in the holder in the wall flickered out, leaving Crowley sitting there in total darkness.


	5. Wayward Angel

**Wayward Angel**

Jy-shiaj eyed Crowley warily and shrugged his shoulders, leaning a bit closer. He wasn't sure that he had heard him correctly.

"Um, all due apologies, Mr. Crowley, but did you say...?", he left the question unasked and raised his eyebrows, waiting.

Crowley sighed and took a step closer, leaning in to the informant. He started to whisper conspiratorially to him. Jy-shiaj leaned closer.

"I said, that I need you to find where the Emperor has got off too, if he had an Angel with him, and to do it before the sun sets."

Jy-shiaj nodded. "Yes, that part I got...but the second part...about me needing to do this before the sun sets because..."

"Because," Crowley continued, pausing dramatically, "if you do not find out before the sun sets, the entire city will be a hundred fathoms under water." He leaned back and smiled amiably towards Jy-shiaj.

The little spy paled. "But...but...that's...that's _horrible_! Shouldn't the people be warned? The entire city should be evacuated! The loss of life...wait, how do you know this?", he finished, looking quizzically back to Crowley.

"Let's just say I'm in the know about certain things, Jy-shiaj. And as far as warning people goes, I really wouldn't recommend that."

"But...with all due respect Mr. Crowley sir, why? There are a million souls in the city...if they don't know..."

Crowley rubbed his chin. "Yes, horrifying, isn't it?", he said slowly, pensively. "Believe it or not, it was his idea that we don't forewarn everyone. Will wonders never cease?" Crowley glanced over at the Angel wearing the long tan coat, who was leaning against a wall, equally thoughtful and staring out of the front door. Jy-shiaj followed his gaze and walked over to stand in front of the Angel. He had begun to shake fearfully as he looked up into the Angel's face.

"Why?", was all he managed to ask in a small voice. He had no doubt of the power of the Angels, and if there was a flood coming, he also had no doubts that they would be the ones behind it.

The Angel sighed heavily and turned his eyes to Jy-shiaj.

"I... sympathize, I truly do," he said, his voice grating and dry. "but there is no time. Add to that the fact that warning these people will introduce thousands of new souls into the timeline that were supposed to have perished here..." He broke his gaze away and stared outside again before continuing. He seemed to be struggling with himself. "We...we cannot do it. And if you start warning people to flee the city because a flood is coming, the City Guard will have you locked up as a crazy person within the hour." He turned back to the Atlantian. Jy-shiaj blinked in surprise. There we tears forming in the Angel's eyes. "We don't have enough time, Jy-shiaj. We _never_ have enough time. We need you to find the Emperor. More...more than you can even imagine rests on this. More lives than you can imagine as well. Please...there is no one that knows the city like you do. Can you do this for us?"

Jy-shiaj swallowed hard past a lump in his throat. "If I do this thing," he started slowly. "what...what happens afterward?"

The Angel stared at him questioningly.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, myself, my family...", the small man said softly. "What will happen then?"

The Angel grimaced and looked away. Jy-shiaj dropped his head.

"Castiel," Crowley said, breaking the silence. "You can't just ask him to do this and not allow him to save himself and the people he loves."

Castiel looked up and stared daggers at the Demon.

"Are you trying to tell me how to be _merciful_?", the Angel growled.

Crowley simply glared back.

"I'm trying to tell you how to understand humans, Castiel," he answered, voice low.

"Since you're such an expert on that subject," Castiel snarled back, his hand waving in the air as he stalked a few paces away.

"I know a hell of a lot more than you!", Crowley shot back. "Take our current dilemma with Sam and Dean as an example, since it's got you so damned worked up."

Castiel let out a bestial growl and faster than a blink had Crowley pinned up against a wall, holding him a foot off the ground.

"They're my friends, Crowley, and you left them in danger. I would seriously consider what you're about to say to me right now"

Crowley was not fazed. "Just this," he spit back."What do you think Dean would tell you to do if you could ask him, hm?"

Castiel narrowed his eyes, not relaxing his grip. "What?", he whispered angrily.

"What. Would Dean. Say?", Crowley answered back steadily. "Would he say: 'Oh never mind the hunt for the Archangel and the Demon, or that stupid Apocalypse they're trying to start, just come and save me?'", Crowley said, staring at Castiel in challenge. "No, Castiel, he would have told you to focus on the mission. That the hunt was what was of the utmost importance. You _know_ that, or at least you should know that. _That's_ what I was talking about when I told you I need you focused. It's because I know that's what they would have wanted."

Castiel stared at Crowley, then lowered him slowly to the floor. He watched him carefully for a few seconds, then slowly, grudgingly, nodded and turned away from him.

Crowley sighed and busily brushed his suit straight.

"See? You know that I was right about..."

Castiel flashed back around and slugged Crowley hard in the jaw. The Demon dropped in a heap, his face in total shock. Several Demon guards, who had been watching the situation unfold with apprehension, took a few meaningful paces towards Castiel. Crowley looked left and right, wiped the blood from his lip with the back of his hand, and waved them off.

"You still should have told me about them Crowley," Castiel said. With that, he straightened up, gave the Demon guards a not-so-subtle warning glance, and walked back over to Jy-shiaj. He placed a hand gently on his shoulder.

"It's...not unheard of for an Angel to grant a servant refuge from an oncoming disaster. Do this for us. Find the Emperor, and more importantly, the Angel he had with him, or a least where he's gone, and you and your family can leave...just...just remember, you have until the sun sets."

Jy-shiaj nodded numbly, and walked slowly from the casino, as if in a trance. He turned to look back at Castiel and Crowley, set his jaw, and gave them a firm nod. He then went into the streets of Atlantis, his pace picking up speed with every step.

* * *

After he left, Crowley collected himself off of the floor, straightened himself out as best he could, and looked back at Castiel, who was watching him.

"Better now?", he said sarcastically, working his sore jaw and raising his eyebrows at the Angel. Castiel snorted at him in reply, crossing his arms.

"Castiel? Why did you just tell Jy-shiaj that finding the past version of yourself was the most important thing?"

Castiel looked away. "He's coming with us."

Crowley's eyebrows raised even higher. "Is he now? Wouldn't that be considered a...oh, I don't know, a rather _serious_ paradox in the time stream?"

Castiel let out a breath and nodded slowly. "It's a risk, but one I need to take," he replied soberly. He looked back over his shoulder at Crowley. "He's been...I've been programmed to open those Portals. I need to see if I can undo that."

Crowley frowned. "Sorry...but isn't that a mute point, Castiel? The Portals are permanently opened from this side. There's nothing we can do to change that, including trying to re-program yourself. Well, not without destroying the entire timeline I imagine. That's why we're going to try to do it from the other side, with my captive Deep One."

Castiel turned away again. "I...have to try, Crowley. Especially if your plan doesn't work." He turned back, his gaze determined. "We're running out of options."

Crowley watched him for a moment and nodded slowly. "Yeah, I suppose we are," he answered at last, shrugging. "Let's hope the little spy is on his game, then. There's not much time."

With that, he nodded to his guards and went back to his study. Castiel watched him go and sighed heavily, his gaze turning back to the streets outside.

He closed his eyes. He could feel the power building from the oncoming flood. Gabriel was charging everything around them with Angelic energy. The air was buzzing with it. He could hear horses whinnying in stables across the street and dogs howling in the city even further off. They knew as well. He opened his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Please, Father, please let him find him," he whispered into the empty air. "This has to end."

* * *

Jy-shiaj, breathless, ran into the Casino a few hours later. The guards had him wait in the lobby while they went to get Crowley. He bent over and placed his hands on his knees, breathing hard.

A minute later Castiel and Crowley came out to the lobby and stood in front of him. Jy-shiaj looked up and nodded.

"I found them," he said, eyes glittering.

"Where?", the Angel asked earnestly.

Jy-shiaj nodded. "Remember your promise?"

Castiel nodded. "Of course."

Jy-shiaj canted his head to the side. "My friends and family?"

The Angel nodded back impatiently. "Yes, they'll be spared, now, where are they?"

Jy-shiaj nodded to himself. "They're on a boat."

"A boat?"

"Yes, it left Atlantis this morning heading for the mainland. A trade port. My informants saw the Emperor and several of his guard come from the beach this morning going straight to the docks. There was a man bound and gagged with them, I am assuming that he was this Angel that you are looking for. There was quite a scene. The Emperor had his guards remove the captain and ships crew, and launched the boat shortly after."

"That actually makes sense," Crowley said, rubbing his chin. "Joshua knows what's coming as well, so he's saving himself."

The Atlantian cocked his head. "How did he know? Was the Emperor also warned?"

"After a fashion," Crowley grunted in response. He looked outside at the street. "OK, c'mon, we only have an hour or so to get to the dock and commandeer a ship." He looked around at his assembled Demon guards and staff. "We're getting out of here."

Jy-shiaj looked nervously out at the horizon and the setting sun. "If you please, Sir, I have a ship ready. Please, let us hurry."

* * *

They reached the docks and ran directly into a small army standing in front of an Atlantian freighter ready to sail.

" Jy-shiaj, who are all of these people?", Crowley growled, waving his hand over the small horde of nervous looking Atlantians.

The little man shrugged. "My family," he replied flatly. He narrowed his eyes. "You said that I could protect them...you gave me your word," he finished, looking at the Angel pleadingly.

"How many family members do you have?", Crowley exclaimed, exasperated.

Jy-shiaj shrugged. "I have a lot of cousins," he replied. His green eyes shot back at Crowley and he jabbed a finger at him. "This is the deal, Mr. Crowley, sir. My family are also sailors, so unless your guards know how to tie off a slip-knot, this ship is going to have a hard time sailing from here."

Crowley wiped a hand slowly over his face. "Fine, fine, you win," he said slowly. "Get them on board." He looked pointedly at the setting sun. "And hurry it up."

Jy-shiaj grinned widely and began shouting at the crowd, who began to gather up bundles and various belongings and move steadily up the gangplank onboard.

"They'll be able to re-populate China with that many people," Crowley mumbled acidly. Castiel raised his eyebrows.

"A deal's a deal, Crowley," he answered back. "That's something that you should know a lot about." He frowned, looking over the boat. "I just hope this thing is fast enough to catch up with them is all."

"Especially with all of the extra ballast," Crowley grumbled in reply. "Look, Castiel, is it absolutely necessary to retrieve your past self?"

Castiel shook his head vigorously. "I've already told you, Crowley..."

"Fine, fine," Crowley answered, holding his palm up. "It's your back up plan. But if we're not fast enough or lose them..."

Castiel set his jaw. "We won't. We can't." He looked up at the sky. There was a faint rumble in the ground and the sky began to turn dark. A gentle rain began to fall and the waves in the harbor swelled suddenly and rocked the barge. The last of Jy-shiaj's family and the Demon guards quickened their pace and finished loading onto the ship.

Crowley looked all around him, then back to Castiel. "Is it...?"

Castiel nodded.

"Yes, Crowley. It's time."


	6. Escapes

**Escapes**

Sarah sat with her legs crossed in the lotus position, her hands resting lightly on her knees, index fingers touching her thumbs. Her face was a mix of concentration and, more or less, controlled annoyance.

Jesse stood with his arms crossed, scanning around them for any movement or threat of attack in the crumbling rubble. The tremors that rocked the ground continued unabated, but, luckily, had not been increasing in intensity. Most of the other Heralds were leaning on larger blocks of broken marble stone, or sitting on the ground, watching Sarah or staring at the ground. Leon paced back and forth like a caged tiger just a few feet from her. He cast yet another worried glance at her.

"Anything yet?", he asked. Jesse winced. It was probably the fifth time in the last ten minutes that he had asked that.

Sarah opened one eye and regarded Leon with undisguised hostility.

"It isn't that simply, _Leon_ ," she hissed between her teeth. "My ability is to summon monsters from other dimensions. Opening a way that happens to be _clear_ from those monsters takes a lot more concentration." She opened her other eyes and cocked her head. "Or do you wanna risk it anyway? I'm game. As long as _you_ go first." She smiled evilly and squeezed her eyes shut, letting out a deep breath and relaxing her shoulders. Leon rolled his eyes and resumed pacing.

One of the kids, Jones, Jesse recalled, the kid that could call up the undead, sighed loudly in frustration and skipped a rock over the ground until it landed with a plink against a fallen wall.

Jesse looked around and walked over slowly to two of them, a boy and girl, who were sitting close to each other on the ground.

"Hey," he said as they looked up. "We never really had time to get introduced. Figured since we're kinda getting thrown into this fight and all, might as well get you names, huh?" He gave them a lopsided grin, and, using his ability to influence emotions, _pushed_ at them a little to get them to relax and talk. He figured that the blast he had released probably hadn't truly eradicated the Angel and the Demon, so he needed allies. And fast. He looked briefly over his shoulder again past the smoking ruins, making sure nothing was coming for them.

The girl answered first, not raising her head. "Kinsey," she said quietly. "Been with the team almost a year now." She was dressed in a jeans jumper with a red button down shirt. Her hair was long and in a black braid, but the right side of her head was shaved clean, a bit punk style.

"David," the boy answered, looking up and smiling. He had grey eyes and sandy brown hair, and looked to be the oldest of the Heralds, Jesse guessed that he was about eighteen or so. "And, by the way, if they're coming, they're coming. I'll fight with you. Never trusted the jerks myself either."

Jesse blinked. "I was just thinking..." he narrowed his eyes. "What can you do?"

David's grin widened. "And you win the prize. Mind reader. And yes, I can turn down the volume if I want. Extra feature built into the app so I don't go cukoo. At least, that's what they told me."

Jesse nodded and looked back at Kinsey. "What about you?"

"Telekinetics," she answered simply, and looked away.

Jesse let out a low whistle of appreciation. "Nice one. How strong?"

Kinsey shrugged and turned her head to him, looking up. Her eyes were a deep brown, and seemed to hide a wisdom beyond her years. Jesse nodded to himself. Pain. She knew pain. That's something all the Heralds had in common. That's why they were recruited in the first place.

"Tank," she replied, shrugging. "Maybe more. I never really pushed it. But the first time, it was a tank."

Jesse frowned. "Where'd you find a tank?"

Kinsey smiled wanly. "I'm from Afghanistan. 'Kinsey', it's adapted from 'Khurshid'"

Jesse blinked in surprise. "But, you sound like..."

"An American? Yeah, been in an American school there too for the last eight years. The Angel brought me back with him to the US." She shivered, looking around. "Nothing ever seems to change, though," she said slowly, her head turning and looking at the destruction all around them.

"I'm sorry Kinsey," Jesse said gently. "I didn't mean to put you on the spot." He stopped and bit his lip, hesitating before continuing. "Look, I hate to ask you this, but..."

"You wanna sign her up, too?", a voice came from next to him. Jesse looked over at the other teen, a rail-thin red-haired kid with freckles, a scruffy goatee, glasses and torn white-washed jeans. "All for team Damien, right?"

Jesse narrowed his eyes. "My name isn't..."

The kid waved a hand in the air. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Trevor, BTW, in case you didn't know," he said. He glared at Jesse in open challenge. "Look, Hoss, not to put _you_ on the spot or anything...but, how do we know this isn't some kind of power play, huh? You taking out the boss-men so you can hog all the glory for yourself? Pretty rad move."

Jesse glared back. "Those guys are bad news, Trevor. I've heard them talking privately myself. Leon too," he added, indicating Leon with a nod. "They've been lying to us. Using us. This isn't about some kind of mission to stop Castiel and Crowley from taking over Heaven and Hell. It never was. It's about _them_ trying to take over. We heard it from their own lips."

"You really think they're the bad guys?", Sarah interjected, her eyes narrowing. "Because, well, maybe we're the ones that are wrong here."

Jesse swallowed. "What do you mean?"

Kinsey met his gaze. "I've...I've done horrible things. All in the name of vengeance. And so have we all," she looked around pointedly at the small group. "No one twisted my arm to accept the power that the Angel offered. I _wanted_ this." She lowered her head and turned away. "And...well, there's you as well."

"Me?"

Kinsey nodded. "Yes, you." She looked back to him. "You're...you're the _Antichrist_ , Jesse. I'm sorry, but it's true. What does that say about me if I choose to follow you?" She frowned and shook her head. "I've already made one horrible choice. I do not wish to make another."

Jesse let out a deep breath that he was holding and kneeled next to her. "Kinsey, I...I can't make you follow me. Well, actually I _can_ , but that's the whole point," he said, frowning.

Kinsey looked back at him questioningly.

"It's... it's all about free will, Kinsey," he continued. "Someone taught me that a while ago, when I was just a kid. That...that Antichrist thing, that's just a title. I don't _ever_ have to take it, not unless I want it." He looked around. The other teens, except for Sarah, had come closer and gathered around him. Jesse stood up and looked around at all of them.

"Look, we all know why we're here. We messed up. We know that. But we can own that. It's ours. One thing I do know, we have a choice here. That's all I'm saying. And that's a big thing. Some people don't get those choices, but we do." He sighed and ran a hand over his mouth. "I'm asking you to trust me. We can't keep this up, I mean, just look around you," he said, sweeping his arm out. "This is them, people, This is what they do. We have a choice. Help them, or fight them." He shrugged. "It's up to you."

"That's just about got it," Sarah murmured. A shimmering disk of energy appeared in the air. She opened her eyes and braced her hands on her knees, standing. She examined the disk and nodded in satisfaction.

"All aboard?", she asked, cocking her head at them.

Jesse looked around. Most of the teens met his eyes and nodded in agreement. Trevor had his arms folded and seemed to be making a point of staring in another direction. Kinsey was looking at the ground. Jesse sighed.

"Wanna go first, boss?", Sarah asked, holding her hand to the side. "In case something goes wrong, you got the most firepower to handle it." Jesse nodded, stepped up to the shimmering energy and looked back around at the other Heralds.

 _It's the best I can do_ , he thought, stepping through. I _hope to hell it's enough._

* * *

Castiel had his eyes closed and his lips moved silently. Crowley watched him as the boat rocked on the waves and pulled away from the Atlantian shore.

"And?", Crowley asked after Castiel's eyes opened.

Castiel blinked and looked at him. "Gabriel will send us back to our time as soon as we tell him that we're ready. He's going to seal the Portal now." He shook his head. "We don't have a lot of time to find Joshua and my past self."

Crowley frowned. "I thought all we had was time."

"No, actually. Time is fluid. The events that we are experiencing will cause a myriad of future possibilities to become manifest. With every action that passes here, those futures change, mutate, or disappear entirely. We have to limit those possibilities and focus in on our _own_ timeline."

Crowley rubbed his forehead and paced slowly away. "Angels..." he muttered.

"What?", Castiel asked, calling after him.

"Angels," Crowley repeated, turning back to Castiel. "You explain the principles of time travel like you're talking about making a bowl of cereal."

Castiel tilted his head. "Did you not understand?"

Crowley waved his hand in the air. "Yeah, yeah, I got the gist of it, choir-boy. I'm not a bloody idiot. But how you keep it all straight in that head of yours, I'll never know."

"I perceive things differently than you do, Crowley."

Crowley grimaced and shook his head, his eyebrows raised. "Yeah, you don't say," he grumbled to himself as he went to the ship's prow and stared out over the waves. Jy-shiaj came over to join him. Two little Atlantians, practically attached to his legs, were with him, their big, green eyes taking in the sights of the sea, their sandy blond hair whipping in the stiff breeze. Jy-shiaj tousled the hair on one of their heads, and the boy promptly smiled back at him and ran off. Jy-shiaj looked at the other one and smiled.

"Why don't you go off and play with the others, little one," he said gently. The little girl giggled and ran off, her bare feet pounding on the deck.

The Atlantian looked at Crowley and sighed.

"All those people...", he began.

Crowley grunted in reply.

"Is there truly no other way?"

Crowley looked down to the small Atlantian, He began to say something snarky regarding how fish had to eat too, but stopped himself.

"No," he answered gruffly instead, looking back out to sea. "I've been...informed that it is too big of an event to alter. It has to be this way."

Jy-shiaj nodded. "It is...I find it hard to accept. At the same time, I understand that horrifying events can and do happen."

Crowley snorted. "Hang around with me a bit longer. You'll see that in a whole new light."

Jy-shiaj nodded. "We're going after the Emperor, then?"

Crowley nodded in reply. "Yep."

"He is a very dangerous man."

"He's no man," Crowley answered softly, staring at the horizon. "But, yes, he's very dangerous."

"What is he, then?"

"I'm not entirely certain," Crowley answered simply. "An agent of the Old Ones, most likely, an ancient race of beings that existed before the Universe ever began.

"And how will you defeat him?"

Crowley blew out a long, hard breath of air. "You know, Jy-shiaj? I'm not entirely certain of that either."

Jy-shiaj nodded. "Well, I would suggest that you figure that out. And soon."

Crowley frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Because I see their boat," Jy-shiaj answered quietly, his arm extending and his finger pointing out onto the horizon.

* * *

Jesse stepped out of the disk of energy and frowned, looking around. It was a hazy gray, rocky terrain. There were no buildings in sight. A bitingly cold breeze blew across his face.

 _What the hell?!_ , he thought. _I asked Sarah to bring us back to the mansion_...

He felt his stomach drop and the blood drained out of his face. He spun quickly and slammed against the portal that she had made.

It did not budge.

He raised his fist and slammed against it. It shimmered where he struck it, but did not open.

"Hey!", he screamed futility, panic rapidly setting in. "Hey! Hey! Let me through!"

* * *

"What the hell did you just do?!", Leon screamed, trying to lunge at Sarah, who regarded him with her arms crossed and a half-smile. Trevor and Jones were holding his arms behind him. Kinsey watched in silent shock next to David, who let out a snarl and shoved Trevor away.

"What are you doing!?"; David yelled. "He was on the level! I heard his thoughts! He was telling the truth!"

Trevor regained his balance and glared at David and the struggling Leon.

"So?", he replied angrily. "We gave our word to Joshua, man. The Angel and the Demon, too. You gonna go back on that? You wanna be a traitor?"  
David's jaw dropped open. "Man, _how stupid_ are you?! They _lied_ to us, Trevor!"

Trevor looked down as if he was examining his nails. "Not to me, man. They told me that I would be powerful, and I am. They told me that I could help shape the new world, and I will. How exactly have they lied to me? Jesse has never done squat for me, except try to start a rebellion and take out the people that gave me that power." His eyes narrowed as he stepped closer to David. "Why the hell would I want that?"

Leon pulled himself free of Jones with a grunt. He looked at Sarah, Jones and Trevor with disbelieving, wild eyes.

'Ya'll _can't_ be serious..." he said incredulously.

Sarah smiled back. "Why's that, Leon? Don't tell me you bought all that 'make a choice' crap. Joshua gave us _everything_ we ever asked for. You too. I'm just smart enough not to be ungrateful for it." She shook her head. "You've been played, Leon. Damien there doesn't want anyone to have power but himself. He wants us as his little minions. Believe you me, I _know_ , when I have the choice to have the power to stand up and fight for myself, I will take it. Everytime."

"Hear, hear," came a soft, crooning voice through the rolling smoke. A pair of shadows emerged from it, dragging a form between them. The Angel and the Demon walked over to them. They dumped the person they had been carrying unceremoniously on the ground in front of them face up. The figure let out a small groan and tried to turn. The Angel kicked it hard in the ribs, eliciting a small, choked cry of pain. The figure stopped trying to move.

It was Suriel.

The Angel stopped short of the group of Heralds and crossed his arms. He lowered a menacing gaze at Leon and David. The Demon, a smile on his face, waved a finger in the air in front of them, sarcastically scolding them.

"Seems to me that some kids are going to end up on my 'naughty' list," the Demon said softly. He looked up, his eyes blazing red. "Whatever shall we do with them?"


	7. Deep Running

**Deep Running**

"So, what's the plan, then?"

Crowley stared intently over the bow at the heavy wooden cargo freighter ahead of them. In comparison to the boat that Jy-shiaj had procured for them, it was no wonder that they had caught up so quickly. It's gigantic masts were full of sail, but it's size made their boat look like a dory. It labored in the thick Atlantic water, which were full of swell. The crew of Jy-shiaj's ship was expertly dodging along the deck, swinging the booms into the wind, and catching up to the larger ship easily.

Crowley glanced to his side when he didn't receive an answer to his question. Castiel was standing there next to him, eyes squinted against the wind, his hair slicked back by the driving sea breeze and spray. His fingers were clasped around his Angel Blade, white-knuckled. He stared intently at the other ship, his jaw forward.

"Do you plan to kill him?", Crowley shouted over the driving wind.

Castiel blinked in surprise and turned towards him, water streaming from his face. He looked confused.

"What do you mean?", he asked.

"Joshua," Crowley answered, raising his eyebrows. "Are you meaning to kill Joshua?"

Castiel's shoulders relaxed and he turned back to the other ship. "You know that I can't," he replied evenly.

Crowley tilted his head to the side. _What are you not telling me Castiel?_

"Too much disruption to the timeline, I take it," he answered gruffly, turning his face back into the wind.

"Yes," Castiel replied somberly. "Certain events...need to be kept intact so they can play out correctly." He turned slowly to Crowley. "He _will_ pay. In time."

"Uh-huh," Crowley grunted. "So then - we are to grab your past self and blink out, so to say?"

Castiel sighed. "I hope it will be that easy. Something tells me that Joshua will not be all that willing to play along."

Crowley's brow furrowed in question. "What is he doing with your old self anyway, Castiel? And for that matter, how do you think you will be able to 're-program' yourself if we take him with us?"

Castiel stared at Crowley for a long time before answering,

"Joshua isn't done with my past self yet. He represents a significant investment to him now. I'm assuming he will wipe his... _my_ memory, and then destroy the vessel, sending my essence back to Heaven, with no idea what happened to him."

Crowley nodded. "Then his Trojan Horse just waits for several millennia, and activates when it's ready. It still doesn't answer the question about what you're trying to do though."

Castiel did not answer. He simply stared out at the sea and Joshua's ship.

Crowley nodded to himself again. "You're thinking that if you can take yourself away from Joshua, you can prevent him from erasing your memory. Forewarn yourself about the Portal to Purgatory. Stop yourself from opening it."

Castiel let out a deep breath and nodded.

"Castiel...you've told me yourself about paradoxes...that they're _impossible_..."

"Crowley, an Angel has the power to cause a paradox in the timeline."

Crowley blinked in surprise.

"Come again?"

Castiel turned towards him and looked at the deck of the ship. "If I so choose...I can purposely create a paradox." He looked away and shook his head. "It's never, and I do mean, _never_ been done. Because doing so basically defies God's plan. It has the potential for incredible devastation." He looked back at Crowley. "Not even Lucifer ever dared to try it. The results are completely unpredictable..."

"They why are you...?" Crowley began to ask.

"Look around you!", Castiel shouted, sweeping his arm in a wide circle. "We are at the brink of the _entire universe_ unraveling! And it's _my fault_ , Crowley!" He squeezed his eyes shut and paced a few steps away. His shoulders hunched, his rain slicked back was turned towards Crowley. "If I can, the paradox I create will just stop this...this destruction. But it will be a fundamental defiance of the Divine Plan. It will..." Castiel hesitated, and let out a deep breath. "It will undo me, Crowley. It will cut me off completely from the Grace that made me. To defy Father and His Plan in this way...that's why no Angel has ever done it. It will annihilate the one that does."

Crowley, open-mouthed, stared at Castiel. "Castiel, you don't have to _do_ this..."

"Yes, yes I do. The ability to cause a paradox like this is Heaven's emergency plan. A worst-case scenario." He smiled and waved his arm around again feebly, letting it fall back to his side. "It will only affect me, Crowley. And since I'm the catalyst to all of this..." He turned back to Crowley. "I have to try." He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. "Look, we'll try it your way first. We send the Old One that you captured back to their domain and try to close the Portal from that side. If it fails...then..."

"Then...", Crowley answered grimly, squinting through the rain.

"Get ready," Castiel grunted, looking back over Crowley's shoulder. "We're there."

* * *

"Get the hell away from me!", Leon shouted, breaking away from Jones and backpedaling away from the Angel and Demon as they came towards him. He tripped on some gravel and fell on his backside. He scrambled backwards, his palms smarting from the rock-strewn ground. David ran over to him.

"Leon, we have to run..." David bent over and whispered.

"You think you can get away from us?", the Angel purred, voice full of menace. "This is my backyard."

"Where to?", Leon whispered back to David, whipping his head up to look at him. "You heard him, this is their turf."

"Well, what the hell do you suppose we do, then?", David answered back, frustrated. "Fight them?"

Leon regained his feet. The Angel watched him, a curious and amused look on his face.

"I'm sick of running, I'm sick of bullies, and I damned well _know_ that I'm sick of those two," Leon answered in a hiss, staring back at the Angel.

"What are you going to do, Leon?", the Angel sneered. "In case you haven't noticed, we're in Heaven. No corpses here." He shrugged. "No bodies, no zombies." He leveled his gaze and took a threatening step forward, blue energy gathering around his balled-up fists.

Leon looked around him, breathing hard. His mind raced, trying to find something he could use to fight them. The ruins of Heaven lay all around him, Angels lay out on the ground everywhere, blackened wings spread out underneath. He frowned. No bodies...well...no _human_ ones, anyway. He rolled up his sleeve and the symbol tattooed on his arm started glowing green, a fine mist weaving out of it. Then he looked back to the Angel and smiled.

The Angel stopped. "What's so funny, Leon?"

Leon kept on grinning. "Oh nothing. But if this works..."

One of the Angels under a large piece of debris moved.

The Angel and Demon whipped their heads towards it. It shifted the large chunk of marble off of it's body and stood up. It took a shuffling step forward, it's eyes glowing green.

"Leon...", the Demon snarled quietly under his breath, watching as several dozen other forms began rising around them. "What are you doing...?"

Leon's grin flashed back maliciously. "'Bout to even the odds is all," he said.

The Angel and Demon maneuvered back to back, standing over Suriel's prone form. Sarah, Trevor and Jones joinied them. Kinsey stood with her back to a large portion of the remains of a ruined wall, staring at the scene and not moving. The Angel zombies were quickly surrounding them, forming a massive horde in seconds.

"Brother...?" the Angel hissed.

The Demon shot Leon a look of pure hatred. Then he inclined his head a bit, almost a small gesture of respect.

"What, Brother?", he replied. "Kids, huh? Did you really expect them _all_ to behave? If I recall, the original seven Archangels didn't exactly all get along with each other either."

The Angel growled. "What do we do?"

"Well, unless you feel like taking on about, oh, I would say..." he made a sarcastic gesture of counting all of the figures surrounding them and moving closer. "...two hundred or so of our re-animated siblings, I would suggest we retire to a different venue."

"No!," the Angel snarled. "Heaven is ours! It's ours!" He took a defiant step towards the wall of zombie Angels and then, thinking better of it, quickly retreated , glaring venomously at Leon.

The Demon sighed. "We'll come back. We know his powers have limits. The Angels will run out of go-juice soon enough."

The both turned their heads simultaneously towards Leon. The Angel clenched his teeth and pointed with his Blade.

"I will not forget or forgive this, you little worm. When I _find_ you..."

"Yeah, yeah, heard it before...", Leon answered back. He held out his hand and the zombie Angels closed in faster." If I was you..."

In the space of less of an eye-blink, they were gone. Leon lowered his arm, put his hands on his knees and let out a huge breath of relief.

"Leon?", David said quietly.

"Yeah, man?"

"Remind me _never_ to piss you off..."

Leon grinned and straightened up. He waved his arms and the Angel zombies began to shuffle away.

"Yeah, well, we still better get the hell out of here, man. I got a feeling that those two won't stay gone for long." He frowned and looked around, spotting Kinsey. David and he walked over to her.

"You OK?"

Kinsey nodded. "I...I wasn't worried. I could have used my power to push them away."

Leon shook his head. "Nah, that's not what I meant..."

Kinsey bit her lip and nodded, looking away. "I...I don't know. I thought that I was doing the _right_ thing for once, but now..."

"I hear ya," Leon answered.

Kinsey shook her head and looked around. "There are some buildings over there that are still intact," she said nodding at some shadowy forms in the distance. "We should go there and see if we can find something, _anything_ to help us out."

David nodded. "And maybe some way to get out of here before they come back. That's going to be tough to pull off without Angel power." He frowned and rubbed his chin. "Unless...Leon, you think you could order one of those zombies of yours to zap us out of here?"

Leon shook his head. "Nah, it doesn't work like that. They're like worker bees. They don't have anything except brute strength anymore."

David sighed. "Yeah, well, then, we better find some other Angel around here that's still alive then. We can't stay here."

"No lie," Leon agreed. "And maybe they can tell us how to find Jesse, too. Something tells me that we're gonna need his help before this is all through."

Kinsey nodded. "That might be wishful thinking, but we'll keep it in mind." She moved away from the wall and took a deep breath. "Ok, let's go."

The three Heralds started off through the ruins, the zombie Angels following them in a semi-formation.

* * *

Jy-shiaj's ship pulled up alongside the larger freighter and several of the crew threw hooks attached to ropes over the side. They nodded when they were fastened, letting out slack so their ship didn't ram into the larger ship's side.

Crowley looked up at the other boat and back to Castiel.

"It's quiet..."

Castiel nodded. "Don't worry. He's there." He moved to the ropes and nodded at the crew. They began to climb. Castiel disappeared in a blink, the sound of wings rustling in his wake.

"Who's worried...?", Crowley grumbled, moving over to the ropes then teleporting over.

When he reached the deck, the crew had assembled in a semi-circle, thin Atlantian swords drawn, looking around for any movement on the deck. Castiel stood in front of them, looking around as well. Crowley moved over to his side, also scanning. He didn't see a soul.

"Are you absolutely sure they're here, Castiel?", he whispered.

Castiel nodded slowly. "I can sense their presence. They're on the other side of the ship, near the railing."

"Trap?"

Castiel narrowed his eyes. "I can't be sure. There are only a few of them. Joshua, my past self and a couple of the Emperor's guards."

"Human?"

Castiel grimaced. "I seriously doubt it." He looked back at Crowley. "Get ready".

They moved stealthily and as silently as possible across the ship's deck, moving around cabin walls and storage containers, rounding of the former until they spotted a few shadowy figure in the rainy mist standing right up against the railing. Castiel frowned and stepped out.

"Joshua!"

One of the figures stepped forward.

"Castiel. Welcome," came the deep southern voice from the mists. "I assume the Demon is with you as well, correct?"

"I'm here too, rest assured," Crowley growled, stepping up next to Castiel. "So, come on out and play, you little snot."

A slow laugh came from the deep mist. "Why would I do that, now, Mr. Crowley? So you can kill me?" There was a moments pause as the figure moved back to the railing. "We both know that you can't do that anyway. So, capture is it? Well, we can't have that either. Or you taking control of your past self, Castiel. Far too valuable a pawn."

"We're in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean," Crowley answered back. "Do you actually believe that you're going to escape?"

"That's exactly what I'm going to do, Mr. Crowley," Joshua answered back, his voice full of conversational mirth. "You see, I have no further need for you two. So me and mine are going to adjourn to my skip here, and sail away." He stepped over the rail, followed by his companions. Crowley noticed one of them was carrying an unconscious form over his shoulder. Castiel started moving forward.

"And what's to keep us from just catching up to your dingy and taking what we want anyway?", Crowley called after him, his stomach dropping in warning - already dreading the answer to that question.

"Have you ever read Socrates?" Joshua called back as he began to lower the ship into the sea.

"What about him?"

"His prized student, Plato, wrote in _Timaeus_ about the great continent of Atlantis, as an ideal state. Have you ever wondered what Socrates thought of that?"

"He wouldn't have thought much of it, I imagine, as he was already dead for 39 years once it was written," Crowley replied , moving across the deck with Castiel, quickening their pace.

Joshua barked out a laugh in response. "An excellent riposte, Mr. Crowley, I applaud you." They reached the railing and looked over the side. Joshua's skip was more than halfway down to the water already.

"Actually, yes, I was speaking hypothetically. You see, the knowledge of Atlantis that Plato shared was something Socrates wanted desperately to keep secret," Joshua called up. The mist was thin enough now that Crowley could see him grinning up at him. Crowley let out a low growl.

"Why keep it so secret then, Joshua?", Crowley asked, keeping him talking. He turned to the rest of the crew. "Get back to the ship!", he hissed in a whisper. "Cut him off!" The crew took off across the deck at a run.

"Because it's dangerous, of course," Joshua replied smoothly. "The Angels sunk the entire land just to seal the Portal it contained. The one that's standing open right now. Why, _any manner_ of nasty creature could come out of that Portal were mortal man to learn of it's existence."

Crowley felt the blood drain from his face.

"Like what?"

As if in response, a deep, booming groan came from beneath the waves, as if a creature of unimaginable size was roaring. Crowley straightened up away from the rail, eyes wide in shock. Castiel was turning his head around wildly.

"Gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to the _actual_ Leviathan. Not the pitiful creatures that tried to eat the world a few years ago, mind you, but the genuine article."

The boat jolted heavily as something massive struck it. The deck shuddered and there was a crack like a thunderbolt as the mast snapped and fell, strewing lines and debris all across the deck.

"I bid you, _adieu_ , Castiel. And to you as well, Mr. Crowley. Better luck in the Afterlife," Joshua crooned. "That is," he added, as if considering. "If I allow there to actually _be_ one of those under my rule."

The sound of his laughter faded away as the boat hit the water. It's sails quickly deployed and it rushed quickly away from the freighter.

Crowley looked at Castiel as the deep bellow repeated itself, nearer this time. A stench like a thousand rotting fish rose into the air, and the ship creaked and rocked as it began to rise, something huge literally lifting it out of the sea.

Castiel's face was pale, his eyes wide open.

"So..." Crowley croaked out weakly as the ship gave another horrible jolt, almost making him lose his balance. "...what's the plan then?"


	8. The Needs of the Few

**The Needs of the Few**

Something made a brushing sound on the ground very close to where Jesse slept. He awakened immediately, eyes springing open, muscles tensing. He strained to hear the noise again, letting energy fill into his hands. He slipped them further under his jacket that he had been using as a pillow to hide the red glow.

He heard it again, closer. He braced his knees against the rocky ground and readied himself to spring when whatever it was came into view. His eyes were half-closed, so that anything spotting him would believe him to be asleep, but he could still see everything.

A shadow crept along the lee of the large boulder that Jesse had sheltered under. The diffused light of the sunset mixed with the clinging shadows of night made it hard to make out any details. Jesse took in a deep breath and held it...

When he saw the head of something poke around the edge, Jesse leapt up, his eyes and hands blazing with red and black Hellfire. He heard a sharp yelp, and the figure of a man jumped back awkwardly, tripped, and fell on it's backside.

Jesse rushed forward and saw sprawled on the rocky terrain a small man in a plaid shirt, faded blue jeans with holes in them, flip-flops and a tattered bath-robe, his hands and arms crossed over his head in a cringing sort of defense.

"Don't kill me! Don't kill me!", a squeaky, panicked voice shouted out, echoing in the desolate terrain.

Jesse stopped and lowered his arms, the fire fading out. He let out the breath that he had been holding and let his shoulders drop. He took a cautious step forward and went to one knee in front of the man.

The little guy lowered his arms slowly, and blue eyes peeked out tentatively from behind them. He was a scruffy looking middle-aged man, with messy, short dark hair flecked with more than a little gray with a matching unkempt beard. "You...you're human?", the guy said, quietly, his arms lowering further.

"Last I checked," Jesse grunted, leaning over and offering a hand up. The little guy went to take it.

"Name's Jesse. Jesse Turner," Jesse said.

The little guy's hand recoiled back like Jesse's arm was a venomous cobra. He scrambled away a foot or so on his hands and feet, kicking up a small cloud of dust and pebbles.

Jesse stood up, alarmed.

"What? What's the matter?", he asked. The man's eyes were wide with fear and shock.

"You...you're the _antichrist_..." the guy said slowly. He made it cautiously to his feet, and took a few more steps back. Jesse was reminded of a rabbit about to bolt from a predator.

Jesse cocked his head quizzically. "You know me?", he asked slowly.

"Oh yeah, I think I kinda do...I mean...I wrote you once...kinda...and oh crap, don't kill me...", the guy sputtered, turning halfway around.

Jesse sighed heavily and held up his hands palms out. "Look, man, I am not the antichrist. I...you could say that I turned down the job, OK? Really." He shook his head, closing his eyes. "And what the hell do you mean that you 'wrote me'? What's that supposed to mean?"

The guy stopped retreating and took a closer look at Jesse. "Just what I said," he answered slowly. "Um...you didn't...you said that you _didn't_ take the job?"

Jesse nodded, then gave the guy a half smile. "Didn't like the management."

The little guy watched him, still as a stone for moment, then blew a puff of air out of his mouth, deciding something. He turned towards Jesse and brushed his hands off on his bathrobe and took a steady step forward, his hand extended.

"'Ok then. I figure you could have blasted me to atoms by now if you were lying. Name's Chuck, Chuck Shurley. I'm a writer. You were...it's hard to explain...you were in a story I wrote once." Jesse frowned. "Maybe this'll help," Chuck continued. "We have some mutual acquaintances...Sam and Dean Winchester?"

Jesse's head moved back a bit at the mention of Sam and Dean. "Well...yeah...I do know them. You friends with them?"

"Actually, that's complicated", Chuck answered, frowning. "Short answer – yeah."

"And the long answer?"

"I wish that I'd never met them," Chuck answered, his smile completely contrary to his statement.

Jesse shook his hand and nodded grimly. "So, Chuck, how did you end up here?", he asked, gesturing around him at the vast wasteland with his free arm. "Did that have something to do with those two?"

Chuck nodded back. "Yeah. They got captured. The bozos that did the kidnapping wanted to know where I was."

"An Angel and a Demon possessing a couple of teenagers?", Jesse asked.

Chuck nodded slowly, his eyes narrowing. "You've met them?"

"Unfortunately, yes", Jesse answered, sighing.

"Real trouble, those two..." Chuck said, sighing in return.

Jesse frowned. "And Sam and Dean...they what? Gave you up? That really doesn't sound like them."

Chuck shook his head and ran a hand back through his hair. "Well, no, they didn't...I kinda..." He stopped and frowned, placing a hand over his mouth and looking at the ground.

"Kinda what?"

"I went to go rescue them."

Jesse looked Chuck up and down. He couldn't have been much more than 5'5" and 140 pounds soaking wet. "You...went to go rescue them from the Angel and the Demon?"

Chuck nodded and pursed his lips, smacking them together and looking away. "Yeaaaah..." he answered in a long drawl. "Not the brightest idea, huh?" He turned his eyes back to Jesse.

"Why would you even try something like that?"; Jesse asked, incredulous. "Who are you? An Angel, some kind of supernatural bad-ass?"

"Um...I'm...I'm a Prophet of the Lord," Chuck answered in a half-mumble.

Jesse's eyes widened and he took a step back, looking around.

"Don't worry, nothing's coming for you," Chuck said.

"But aren't you guys supposed to be...?"

"Protected by Archangels?", Chuck said, sighing, shoving his hands into the pockets of his bathrobe. "Yeah, see? That's _exactly_ what I thought. It worked once or twice before. I thought it might work again when I went to go get Sam and Dean." He kicked a pebble a few feet and and then leaned against the boulder, crossing his arms and scowling. "But, apparently, they've got better things to do or something," Chuck said. "I got caught before I even got in the front door. Then this girl opened a portal and sent me here."

Jesse nodded. "Yeah, well, I got bad news about your Archangel backup," he said. He scrambled up onto the boulder and scanned the horizon. He let out an exasperated breath. A whole lot of nothing. Just as he had seen before nightfall.

"What's that?" Chuck asked tentatively from below him, looking up, his hand shielding his eyes from the risen sun.

"They might all be dead by now," Jesse answered solemnly, hopping down off of the rock.

* * *

Castiel grabbed Crowley around the waist, and in less then a blink, and with a ruffle of feathers, they were standing back on the ship with Jy-Shiaj and his family. His eyes went to the larger galley that they were just on and widened in shock.

It was at least fifty feet in the air, ocean water streaming off of it. A pair of pincers the size of a football field held it tight in the middle. A few tentacles at least a hundred feet long and half as thick each had also emerged from the churning and foaming water, and were wrapped around the elevated boat. It's hull cracked and groaned in protest as the pincer and tentacles squeezed around it. Planks of wood split and fell away from it and into the sea. Castiel's eyes followed them down to where they landed.

The entire surface of the ocean around them boiled and rolled in chaotic waves. Writhing, dark, enormous shadows moved underneath them, hidden from view, but when they broke the surface, Castiel could see scaly, inky black skin. He recoiled in horror when he saw that along the limbs of the enormous creature, inky black malicious _eyes_ stared back at him and blinked periodically. They were dotted randomly all along the monster's body.

A little girl from the press of people gathered on the ship's deck let out a shriek of terror.

"I find myself in total agreement with _her_ ," Crowley said by Castiel's side, staring wide eyed into the water over the railing. "Eep. What _is_ that thing?"

"Like the Emperor told you, it's the Leviathan," came a voice from behind them. Castiel and Crowley turned and saw Gabriel standing on the deck, looking up at the freighter suspended in the air. He turned his gaze back to them. "A hybrid creature, actually. Like the Cambrion, or the Nephalim. But instead of being born of Angel or Demon and a human, it's born of the Old Ones and a human."

Castiel's eyes widened, turning back around as the creature let out another enormous roar and larger parts of the ship it was holding crashed into the ocean. "Like the ones Joshua was trying to make...", he whispered.

Crowley whistled lowly. "No wonder he was so interested in these." He shook his head. "Nasty bugger. So, now what? Can we kill it?"

Gabriel shook his head. "It would take Legions of Angels to defeat that, and a large portion of them are recovering after sinking Atlantis and sealing the Portal."

Castiel nodded grimly. "So, it's done then?"

Gabriel nodded in reply.

A cry of grief went out from several of Jy-Shiaj's family. Some of them sunk to the deck, their bodies racked and shaking with sobs.

"The Emperor is getting away," Gabriel said, matter-of-factly.

"Yes," Castiel answered.

"And you need to escape somehow. Once that creature is done with that boat, it will turn to this one."

Castiel nodded, looking around at the huddled people.

Gabriel sighed, his blue eyes steady. "Castiel, I can only do _one_ of these things for you...you know that."

Castiel's head bowed, his eyes closing. "Crowley..." he grunted. He looked up and met the Demon's eyes. "Crowley...how sure are you that this plan of yours will work?"

Crowley stared and then shrugged. "I don't honestly know, Castiel. 50-50?"

Castiel's eyes blazed with fury and frustration.

"That's not good enough, Crowley! Tell me, will it work, or not?!"

Crowley returned the furious gaze. "I don't know! In principle, yes, it should work!" He wiped a hand over his mouth and looked away before turning back to Castiel and moving closer, speaking confidentially. Look, the Deep One _is_ under my control. Tt crosses over, and then collapses the Portal from the other side, game over. But Castiel, you know as well as I do, anything could go wrong here. Especially when we're talking about dealing with Vandecourte. I'm just being practical."

Castiel watched for a few moments and closed his eyes, nodding. "If you're wrong...we lose everything..."

Crowley cocked his head. "And your plan, Castiel, your paradox? How fool-proof will that be?"

Castiel grimaced and opened his eyes. "Pretty fool-proof." He watched Jy-Shiaj's family for a long time and then turned as the large ship finally broke in two, the last large sections crashing into the ocean, sending up waves full of debris onto the deck of their ship. The creature let out a bellowing cry of triumph. The collective group of Atlantians let out a gasp of shock, their eyes wide with fear, staring back and forth in hope at the two Angel's standing on the boat. Castiel looked back at them and shook his head. He strode over to Gabriel, who was watching him curiously.

"Well, Castiel, what will it be?"

"Get us out of here," Castiel grunted. His eyes turned to Jy-Shiaj and the people crowded around him. " _All_ of us."

* * *

Jesse and Chuck trudged for hours through the wasteland until they noticed the sun begin to set. Jesse looked around and stretched. He frowned to himself.

"Hey, you tired?", he asked Chuck.

"A little," Chuck replied. "Why?"

Jesse nodded, his brow furrowing. "What about thirsty? Hungry?"

Chuck returned the questioning look and narrowed his eyes. "No, actually, now that you mention it." He looked around. "I mean, I should be, right? We've been walking all day." He found a spot of the ground and sat down, stretching his legs out before bending them back and leaning back on his straightened arms into a reclined sitting position. "That's actually pretty strange, isn't it?", he asked rhetorically.

"Pretty strange..." Jesse answered anyway, his words trailing off. "It's like, I dunno, this place is some kind of holding cell? A 'Jail-World' or something?"

"Huh. 'Jail-World'..." Chuck replied sounding out the word in his mouth. He shook his head. "Nah, sounds too corny. It would never work in a story."

Jesse shook his head. "That's not what I meant..."

"'Cell-World' maybe...", Chuck continued, unperturbed. "Or...'The Cell'...nah, nope, that was a movie..." He frowned and looked back up at Jesse. "What were we talking about?"

Jesse shook his head, sitting down himself. "Doesn't matter." He looked around again and let out a deep breath. "Well, if we aren't going to die of attack, exposure, thirst or hunger, then I'm going to have to guess we got sent here for safe-keeping. Out of the way."

Chuck nodded slowly. "Sounds logical to me."

"But for what? And until when?" He brushed at the dirt with his hand. "I mean, they could have just killed us, unless they needed us for some reason."

Chuck just watched him.

"It's my fault, I guess," Jesse said slowly. "I bought their whole sales pitch, hook, line and sinker." He looked at Chuck and let his head drop.

"The damned thing is, I think I knew it. I've had this...power. My whole life. And I never used it. I watched the world around me...descend into war and chaos, the whole time knowing I could have done something about it. But I never did. Do you know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I think I get it," Chuck answered, nodding slowly.

"And they came around and gave me...well...an excuse to use it. And I bought it." He let out an exasperated huff and fell onto his back in the dirt. "I'm such an _idiot_."

There was a minute or so of silence before Chuck answered.

"Jesse, when people feel powerless to change the world around them, and then someone offers them a way to do it, an _easy_ way to do it...kid, that's the hardest lesson in the world to learn."

Jesse propped himself up on his elbow.

"What lesson?"

"When to trust. _Who_ to trust." Chuck shook his head. "Stop blaming yourself, Jesse. It's impossible to get that one right every single time. What's important is, you saw where this was headed, and you made the choice to stop. You wouldn't _believe_ how many people fail that test."

Jesse relaxed and leaned back down. "I guess. I just hope it isn't too late."

"Me too, Jesse," Chuck answered. "We just gotta hope. And wait."

"For what?"

Chuck let out a short, sarcastic bark of a laugh. "A frikkin' miracle is what."

They both laughed softly as the sun sank and night set in.

* * *

Justin sighed and looked at the clock on the wall.

Still an hour before he could clock out and go home.

He turned back to his cell phone that he had on the desk and started up another game of 'Angry Birds'.

He had no idea why he had bothered to come in at all. The world was freaking out over the giant pillar of light in the Atlantic, and no one anywhere, human or otherwise, had heard from his boss Crowley in days.

 _I need a new job_...he thought to himself.

There was a sudden crack in the air and the sound of water hitting the floor in several large splatters. Justin turned his head up slowly from his game and into the lobby.

Which was now filled with about fifty or so soaking wet people in strange clothes looking around in confusion. At the their head was the Angel Castiel.

Justin swallowed hard and looked to his left, where Crowley was leaning on the desk smiling at him, his business suit similarly drenched, rivulets of waters falling from his head into small puddles on the brushed metal reception counter.

"Hallo Justin," Crowley said benignly. He reached over and exasperatingly and demonstratively turned off Justin's phone for him. "I can see that your wages are well accounted for."

Justin worked his mouth open and closed, but no words came out.

"No worries," Crowley continued, moving away from the desk. "You can more than make up for it tonight. Two things I'm going to be needing you to do, with all haste, I might add. One:", Crowley continued, ticking them off on his fingers. "These people are going to all need accommodations, food, fake Visas, identities, cultural training, English lessons and jobs. As soon as you can manage it. Preferably in that order, and also preferably before the Department of Immigration finds out about them." Justin blinked and turned his head slowly at the large crowd of people.

"And two: after you get them settled for the night, I will be needing you to go down to Vault A and bring it's occupant to me in my office. Tonight, Justin." He smiled broadly and clapped Justin on the shoulder before walking back into the office.

"I know you won't join me, choir-boy, but I could use a drink," he called back to Castiel over his shoulder.

Castiel said something to one of the people in the room and looked at Justin, shrugging.

"I...I'm sorry," The Angel said before following Crowley down the hall.

Justin turned his head in shock at the group of newcomers, who were all staring at him expectantly.

 _I really, really, need a new job_...


	9. Best Laid Plans

**Best Laid Plans**

Pure, unadulterated malice stared back at Crowley from the creature's inky black eyes.

Castiel frowned and looked back and forth between them.

"Crowley...", he said in a low-tone. The air was thick with tension, and it seemed like the slightest movement or gesture could start a conflagration.

Crowley's head barely twitched to one side, his eyes never leaving the monster's.

"Yes...Castiel?", Crowley answered in an equally cautious tone.

"You're absolutely certain that that thing will do this?"

"Castiel?"

"Yes?"

"Not to point out the obvious, and not to alarm you...but that 'thing' is standing right here in front of us. And it can hear you. And, I might add to further emphasize my point, it can understand every single word that you're saying."

A deep rumble came from somewhere deep in the creature's chest. A lip curled back slightly, showing a yellow fang, coated in a mossy green reminiscent of seaweed. A stench of something pungent and salty filled the air in the conference room.

"That'll be enough of that," Crowley murmured, stepping forward aggressively and staring the Deep One directly in the face. "I'm in charge here. I think we've spent sufficient time establishing that." He raised his hand in front of the monster's face. He was holding what looked like a tube with a red button on the end. Crowley's thumb hovered close over it as he gave it a demonstrative waggle.

The Deep One's eyes flickered to the device and stared at it for a few seconds. It let out a deep breath and visibly relaxed. It's eyes showed a deference to Crowley, and, surprisingly, even more hatred than before.

"What is that?" Castiel asked.

"My boys have hard-wired this thing's head with a series of electrodes," Crowley said, a smile creeping onto his face. "Oh, not your standard fare, mind you. It's enough to get this beasties'

attention, believe you me."

Castiel nodded. "And it will listen to you now?"

"This? Oh no, this is a safety device only. We've also upgraded this guy's grey matter with a couple of command words and simple suggestions," Crowley said. He moved away from the creature and sat down in the office chair at the head of the conference table. "Now, all we need to do is get him in place and send him on his merry way."

"The portal," Castiel grimaced.

"Yes, we send it there, dump it in, and monitor its progress on the camera attached to its head."

"Won't the other Old Ones notice that?"

Crowley shook his head. "Castiel, those things have been locked up behind that portal for the better part of fourteen-billion years. I'm willing to put up even odds that they've never heard of Sony."

Castiel stared at the Deep One and nodded. "OK, we can monitor it from here, then. When do we send it?"

Crowley pressed a button on the panel in front of him and a line opened after a small beep.

"Justin here, sir," came the voice from the other line.

"Justin, how goes the re-settlement operation?"

There was a significant pause, and Castiel swore he heard a muttered curse from the assistant.

"As well as can be expected, sir. You do realize that nobody in their group can speak any type of modern language."

"Are you saying that you can't handle it?", Crowley asked, his eyebrows raising.

There was another pause. "No sir. It will all be done shortly," came the reply.

"Good," Crowley said, leaning back from the intercom. "I'm going to need a helicopter equipped with loading and offloading gear ready within the hour." He looked up at Castiel. "We have a delivery to make."

The Deep One turned it's head slightly towards the Demon, the rumble in its chest starting again.

* * *

A little less than an hour later, Crowley turned the Big Board on and watched as his Demons loaded the Deep One onto the cargo helicopter, strapped it down, and took off towards the Bermuda Triangle, where the Portal had manifested. He downed several drinks during it's flight and kept casting glances at Castiel, who stoically watched the screen and didn't appear to move. Or even blink for that matter.

"Castiel?", he finally asked after over two hours of dead silence. He plinked his glass down on the table extra hard for emphasis.

Castiel grunted in reply, but did not turn his head.

"Oh good, so you haven't been turned into stone. I was worried for a moment there."

Castiel sighed and turned his head towards Crowley.

"What do you want?"

Crowley steepled his fingers and stared back. "I want to know what's going on in that head of yours. The way you've been staring at that screen for the last couple of hours, I was beginning to get the impression that you were auditioning to become a Grigori."

"What's s going on in my head?", Castiel snorted and looked back at the screen. "Oh, nothing. Just that the fate of the entire universe and God's creation is currently hinging on this plan of yours. And if it fails..."

"Yes, about that, " Crowley said when Castiel trailed off. "What is this back-up plan of yours? This 'deliberate paradox'? What are you planning to do, Castiel?"

Castiel was silent for several moments before answering. "It's better if I didn't tell you."

"Oh come on, Castiel, share and share alike, right?"

Castiel rolled his eyes and stared at Crowley. "Because you've been _so_ forthcoming all the time that we've worked together regarding _your_ plans." He shook his head and smiled, turning back to the Big Board. "OK, fine, I'll tell you. But only if you answer my question."

Crowley cleared his throat. "I can hardly wait."

Castiel looked back at him. "If none of this had happened. If it wasn't necessary to use the Old One in this way, sending him back through the Portal to try to close it, what were planning to do with it?"

"I show you mine, you show me yours, Castiel? Intriguing. Although I never pegged you for the type to play that particular game."

"What were you going to do with it, Crowley?", Castiel asked again, not reacting.

Crowley's face hardened and he stared back at Castiel over his fingers. His eyes flickered with something like anger, and he finally let out a sigh and picked up his drink. He took a long pull and set it down heavily, staring at the table when he answered.

"It's better if I didn't tell you."

Castiel nodded solemnly and turned back to the screen.

"I thought so."

* * *

The helicopter arrived at the Portal within the next hour. It hovered as stably as it could in the maelstrom and lowered a steel cage attached to a winch with the Deep One inside into the water near it's base. Castiel and Crowley watched breathlessly as it slowly reached the water and swung into the Portal's vortex.

The camera crackled and the helicopter swayed. The picture stabilized a few seconds later, and the crew began to draw the cage back with an automatic winch. It was empty.

"Switch to head cam," Crowley said into his headset. The Big Board went black. After a few seconds, Castiel looked over at Crowley, whose forehead began to break out in a sweat.

"Is...is it on?", he asked into the microphone once more. Castiel heard someone answer, the response distorted by a crackle of static, and Crowley frowned.

"Well, I don't see a bloody thing!", he shouted back. ""We tested this a hundred times! Don't tell me that everything's..."

He stopped as the screen flickered to life. They could see a black mass of clouds resolving themselves into a dripping, moss covered path. There was a minimal amount of light coming from all around in an even darkness, but no visible source. The Deep One had began to move forward over the path.

"Never mind, there it is..." Crowley muttered, crossing his arms and biting a nail on his thumb. He glanced over at Castiel, who had moved closer to the screen, his eyes narrowed.

"What is it, Castiel?"

"Nothing...I just...I didn't know what I expected to see..." He looked over at Crowley. "These are creatures of pure chaos. No one has ever seen their physical realm before."

The light in the picture grew until the Deep one entered a room that came right out of an M.C. Escher painting. Stairways and paths led off into impossible directions, and light blinked randomly through everything. In what was approximately the center of the area was a pulsing beam of energy, a miniature version of the Portal over the Atlantic.

"There it is..." Crowley whispered, licking his lips. He pointed at some symbols carved into the ground near the portal. "Can you make those out? It might give us an idea of who is behind all of this." On the screen, the creature began moving down twisting and turning paths, getting closer and closer to the portal.

Castiel squinted. He then moved over to the conference table where a large book stood opened to a series of runes and carvings. The title of the page was "The Names of the Old Ones", and in the lower corner was written in a loose hand-scrawl, "H.P. Lovecraft." He shook his head.

"They're not in here."

Crowley grunted. "Well it was worth a shot. Turns out Lovecraft was just a crackpot then."

Castiel shook his head again. "No, he was a Prophet."

Crowley looked back and frowned. "A Prophet...you're joking, right?"

Castiel looked up at him. "For the other side."

"Ah," Crowley answered, looking back at the screen. "But then those symbols should mean something, shouldn't they?"

"Not all of the Old Ones are listed here," Castiel answered, turning a page. "And some of them..." He straightened up slowly and turned pale white. "No...it couldn't be..." He strode quickly back to the Big Board and stared at the symbols, his face ashen. Crowley watched him, a concerned look on his face.

"'Some of them', what Castiel?"

"Some of them..." Castiel replied dryly. "Some of them _can't_ be named."

Crowley shrugged, the corners of his mouth turning down.

"So? So what?"

Castiel looked at him, eyes blazing. "Crowley, the ones that can't be named...specifically one of them..."

The camera shook violently and there was a deep bellow that went on for several seconds. The Deep One stopped moving forward and apparently went to one knee.

"Wait...wait...what's it doing?", Crowley shouted into the headset. "Why did it stop?"

Dark, writhing shapes moved in the corners of the room on the camera, filling it, moving swiftly into it, resolving into a shape.

"Crowley..."; Castiel said quietly.

"What?", Crowley exclaimed, spinning to Castiel. "What is that? Why did my pet just _stop_?"

"Crowley, this isn't going to work."

"Castiel, you better start explaining yourself," Crowley said, his voice full of venom. "There's something that you know that you're not telling me, and believe me, _now_ is the time to share!"

Castiel looked back to the screen. "Lovecraft...he called 'Him Who is not to be Named'." There was another roar as the shape became clearer, a writhing mass of inky tentacles and muscle. A face began to resolve itself in the moving mass.

"It's one of the most powerful of the Old Ones. Their version of Archangels. An Elder God. If it actually had a name, it is called Hastur. If he's what's behind all of this..."

The camera shook violently once more, and there was a wet, ripping sound before it fell still on it's side. A face cloaked in darkness leaned down into it and smiled.

Crowley jumped back, his jaw hanging open. "Bloody hell...you don't mean to tell me that the whole time, that little wanker..."

"Nice try, you two, but I'm afraid that I cannot allow you to shut down this portal. I've...I've just worked too hard on it. And for more years than you can ever imagine. I'll be seeing you," Joshua Vandecourte's distorted face mocked them from amid the writhing mass of tentacles. "I'll be seeing you really soon." The camera shook violently once more and went black.

Crowley sat down hard in a chair. He stared into space for over a minute in total shock before speaking. "Don't tell me that Joshua was some kind of _Elder God_ the whole time...my head just won't accept that..."

Castiel was still staring at the blank screen.

"Joshua probably didn't even know himself. He was...just a vessel for it. If that thing ever manifested in our world..." Castiel shook his head.

"What?"

"Game over," Castiel said. "It's very presence is strong enough to warp and un-make reality. Joshua was a vessel. Just a vessel. He was here to do Hastur's bidding."

He looked away from the screen and squeezed his eyes shut. "But make no mistake, that...thing...is what was behind all of this. And now I'm going to stop it."

Crowley stood up. "So...it's Plan B after all then, is it?" He took a few steps to Castiel. "Do you want to tell me what that entails now?"

Castiel let out a breath and straightened up. "I'm going back. I'm going back to just after Atlantis sank."

Crowley's brow furrowed as he looked at the Angel.

"Castiel, don't be an idiot. It took an Archangel to send us back there. And one to send us back. You don't even have the power to do that."

Castiel's steely blue eyes regarded him for a moment. "If I gave it everything that I have...then...I think that maybe I actually do."

Crowley shook his head ."No Castiel, that's bloody insane. Even if you manage to go back, and that's a big 'if', I might add, you won't have enough power left to stand up straight, let alone take on Vandecourte."

"Insane or not, we have no choice anymore," Castiel answered, his voice barely a whisper. "Crowley..." He looked down at the Demon "I...just so you know...I wanted to...I wanted to say thank you. Thank you for trying...to do the right thing. For trying to save the world."

Crowley regarded him for a moment before letting out a breath. "So, that's it, then?"

Castiel nodded slowly. "That's it."

Crowley nodded slowly.

"Good luck Castiel. And..." he winced. "...God speed."

Castiel cocked his head and a half smile appeared on his face.

"Goodbye Crowley."

There was a gathering of energy as if all of the light and energy in the room was being gathered, a feeling of sudden pressure, and then the Angel was gone.

Crowley watched the empty space on the floor where Castiel had stood for a long time before he turned back to the table and sat down. He drained the last of his whiskey and hung his head.

"God speed."

* * *

There was a white light and a flash of pain. Castiel heard a loud thump, but was so disoriented that he didn't realize for awhile that it was him landing on a wooden deck that had made it.

His head swam, and his vision was blurred. He couldn't tell where he was, but the smell of fresh sea air...

"Unbelievable..." a voice with a heavy, lazy southern drawl came from somewhere above him. "Absolutely unbelievable. You just don't know when to quit, do you?"

Castiel's ribs exploded in pain as Joshua rammed his foot into them. He skidded several feet along the boat's deck before he stopped, looking up, his vision swimming. He saw the vague outline of Joshua Vandecourte, and turned his head slowly around, trying to see...yes, there he was...his past self...tied up and unconscious, lying about twenty feet away.

It might as well have been a hundred miles. Castiel couldn't get any of his muscles to respond to him. He tried to get at least his arm to move...if he could just get to his Blade...

"What did you think to accomplish here, Angel? The die has been cast. You've lost..." Joshua stopped, and turned around to face Castiel's past self. He turned back to Castiel, a slow smile of understanding creeping onto his face. "Oh...I see."

He came and crouched down a few feet from Castiel, peering at him.

"Are things really that desperate? Well, I hate to be the one to break the news to you, but there is no way in hell that I'm going to allow you to do that."

He stood up. Castiel felt a surge of energy gathering in the air around him, Joshua gathering a strike...

"Goodbye, Castiel, I would like to thank you...for your invaluable assistance in freeing my Masters. But now, well, let's face it. I don''t exactly need you anymore, now do I?" Joshua said.

And then a bolt of pure hell flew towards Castiel's prone figure.


	10. End of the Road

**End of the Road**

Chuck screamed.

Jesse awoke with a start, scrambling to his feet in the semi-darkness, kicking up dust and loose stones in a small cloud around him. He rushed over the few feet that were between him and Chuck Shurley and looked down at the little man, leaning in to see what was wrong.

Chuck's forehead was covered in rivulets of sweat, his eyes were blinking open and closed in a gruesome rhythm that conveyed an unimaginable agony. They were unfocused, seemingly seeing nothing, and, at the same time, something that looked...unspeakable.

Jesse felt a cold shiver run down his spine as he leaned further down and gave Chuck's shoulder a rough shake.

"Hey, hey man, wake up! You're having a nightmare or something. C'mon, snap out of it!"; Jesse half-shouted.

Chuck finally stopped struggling and awoke fully, his arms curling protectively to his flannel plaid shirt, his eyes blinking wildly at Jesse, as if trying to figure out who he was.

"Drnnnnkkllmm," Chuck sputtered out in a groan.

Jesse blinked. "Um, what?"

Chuck shook his head, then groaned loudly and settled to the ground on his back. He pressed two fingers onto the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes tightly shut.

"Drink," he whispered. "I really don't suppose you have a drink on you?" He opened his eyes and leaned back up to a sitting position, his bloodshot blue eyes staring at Jesse. "Do you?", he asked, his voice lifting in a slight tone of hope.

Jesse blinked again and shook his head. "Um...well," he answered, straightening up and going back over to his pack. He unzipped it and rummaged through. He looked back at Chuck, who had began leaning forward expectantly. Jesse looked back in and shook his head. "I have a half-drunken Gatorade bottle, but I'm guessing that's not what you were talking about, huh?"

Chuck groaned and looked away. He let out a sigh and looked back at Jesse, nodding.

"Nah, it'll do. Thanks. Give it here," he said, gesturing in the air.

Jesse casually flipped the bottle to him, and Chuck caught it in both hands. He fumbled at the cap with his hands and stared down at it frowning.

"Since when did we become gerbils?", he complained, as he finally snapped the top up and drained the bottle greedily. When he was done, he licked his lips and drew the back of his arm over his mouth.

"Well, that's a first," he said, exhaling.

"First what?", Jesse asked.

"First time I've been thirsty since we got here," Chuck answered, standing up, a bit wobbly. He steadied himself against a large boulder and nodded at the ground. He looked to Jesse like a drunk that wasn't sure if they were about to throw up or not.

"Small wonder, considering how much you were sweating just now," Jesse replied carefully. "You wanna tell me what that was all about?"

Chuck looked back at him with very tired eyes.

"No, probably better if I don't...it's...it's just something that happens to me from time to time." He stared away at the sky and then at the horizon and the rising sun. "And...the news isn't very good, anyway."

"News?", Jesse asked, re-zipping his pack and walking over to Chuck. "What news?"

Chuck shook his head. "Forget it. We need to concentrate on how to get out of Limbo here first."

Jesse frowned. There was something that Chuck wasn't telling him, and, considering the stakes, he needed every bit of information that he could get.

He _pushed_ with his power towards Chuck's emotions.

"It's OK, Chuck," he said nonchalantly. " you can tell me anything. Hey, it might help us in the long run, you know?"

Chuck snapped his gaze sharply back to Jesse, a split second of pure, unadulterated anger in his eyes, and Jesse felt himself jerk back involuntarily. A primal fear snapped into his stomach, a burst of pure adrenaline. It passed quickly and Jesse felt himself breathing hard. Chuck's face had softened, and all traces of anger were gone, the normal non-threatening, nervous little guy's expression back in place.

"Remember what I said about _trust_ , Jesse?", Chuck asked slowly. He smiled warmly. "You're just going to have to take my word for it. It's better if you don't know."

Jesse felt himself nodding dumbly. He ran a hand through his hair and exhaled. He had never had _that_ happen before. His power was normally one-hundred percent reliable. _It must be this damned place_ , he thought, dismissing it from his mind, making another mental note to _never_ try that again while he was stuck here.

"OK, Chuck," he finally said. "So we're back to problem one. How do we bust out of here?"

"Like I said, it'll take a frikkin' miracle," Chuck mumbled. He walked around the boulder they had been camped next to and squinted at the horizon."In the meantime, I suggest we keep walking. I've always said: ' If you ever find yourself with an unsolvable problem, keep looking for the solution. It will come to you eventually, as long as you keep searching.'"

Jesse barked out a laugh. "OK, Obi-Won-Ton Fortune Cookie, we keep looking then."

Chuck groaned and started walking towards what they had determined was north. "Oh, I would _love_ a Fortune Cookie right now..."

Jesse smirked as he shouldered his pack. "And a big plate of General Tso's Chicken."

Chuck groaned again. "OK, stop it. You _actually will_ make me hungry."

"And a side of deep fried egg rolls, covered in duck sauce...", Jesse continued, unrelenting.

"I thought you said that you _weren't_ the Antichrist," Chuck grumbled.

They laughed and continued walking, Chuck a few paces ahead of Jesse, who never saw the look of complete despair on Chuck's face, and the fresh beads of sweat on his forehead.

* * *

"I think I see somebody," Leon whispered, holding up a hand for Kinsey and David to stop. They had been walking for hours in the ruins of Heaven to reach the assembled buildings that Kinsey had spotted earlier.

"I don't. Oh wait..." Kinsey whispered, moving up and narrowing her eyes. "Yeah, what's he doing?"  
Leon shrugged. "Just...sitting there, looks like." He looked back at Kinsey and David. "Wanna go say 'hi'?"

"Why not?", David answered, sighing. "It's not like we're getting out of here on our own. And it's the first live Angel we've since this morning."

Kinsey nodded. "I'll keep an eye on him. If he does anything funny, I'll drop a building on him."

Leon eyed her. _Yeah, she actually would_ , he thought, shivering.

"Yeah, good. Let's do this."

They all moved towards the seated figure, who was about a hundred meters away from them, seated on a ruin of golden marble in a lotus position, hands extended before him, his back turned to them. Smoke rolled on the ground and rocks shook on the ground as the constant tremors throughout Heaven continued.

They got to within a few feet of him and stopped.

"Um...hello?", David asked hesitantly. "Are you...are you an Angel?" There was no reply and Leon frowned. He then began to move in front of the seated figure.

"Hey, buddy, we're kinda stuck here, you know? I was wondering if...", Leon trailed off as he saw the person's face.

"What the fuuuu...", he whispered, his jaw dropping open. "Man, aren't you _dead_?"

The figure opened one eye and regarded Leon for second before closing it.

"Wouldn't be the first time," he murmured, before continuing to chant something under his breath.

"But...we _literally_ just saw your body!", Leon exclaimed , louder.

"Kid,", the Angel said, stopping his chant, but not opening his eyes. "What I'm doing now is a _lot_ more complicated than you think, so I'd really appreciate it if you kept it down."

Leon shook his head. "Nu-uh. _No way_. You need to do some explaining, and I mean _now_. You were on our side, man, and then you were _dead_ , and now..."

The Angel let out a very annoyed sigh and opened his eyes. He regarded Leon and cocked his head.

"You aren't just going to go away, are you?"

Leon crossed his arms. "Nah, Gabriel, we aren't."

The Angel sighed again. "Fine...FINE!," he said, uncrossing his legs and standing up. "If helping you let's me get back to what I'm doing, then let's get this out of the way." He stared at Leon and held out both hands, palms up, as if to say 'get on with it'.

"What _were_ you doing?"

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "You'd never understand it."

"Try me."

Gabriel stared at Leon, his mouth open a bit in disbelief.

"Seriously?"

Leon nodded. The Angel shook his head slowly and looked up at the sky. "Well, you asked for it...Ok, well, the reason you saw my body is that I did actually die. Which, if you knew _anything_ at all about me, means less than nothing, because I do that all the time. With me so far?"

Leon gave him an impatient look and rolled his hand at the wrist for Gabriel to keep going.

"I'm an Archangel, OK? I can exist on multiple planes of existence and in multiple timelines if I want to. My frequency is just that powerful." He shrugged. "All Archangels can do it, but my Brothers and Sisters never really took advantage of it like I did. Anyway, I must have...oh, I don't know, at least a hundred different copies of myself running around out there. Makes it harder to kill me that way."

"Doesn't that make the copies weaker?", Kinsey asked.

Gabriel turned to her. "Excellent question. And the answer is, 'yes'. Which also explains why I have managed to die so many damned times." He frowned. "The problem I'm having is: _why_ did I feel the overwhelming need to scatter my presence all over the time-stream?"

"What? You don't know?", asked Leon.

Gabriel shrugged. "Actually, no. That's why I was sitting here meditating. If I concentrate hard enough, I can make contact with, well, my other selves, and figure out what I'm up to." He shook his head. "But, apparently, I'm down to only a couple of 'me's'. This one, and one in the past, about seven million years ago. And that one is holding some kind of hidden information that I can't seem to get to; it's blocked or something. And I need it, because, like I said, someone is going to an _awful_ lot of trouble to wipe me out...and I'd like to know why." He eyed Leon, noting the look of confusion on his face. " _Still_ with me?"

"Um..."

Gabriel threw up his hands. "See?! No one listens to me!" He climbed back onto the pedestal and glared down at the three of them, eyes narrowing. "Now, I suppose you three need to get out of here back to Earth, am I right? So, I'm sending you back. Then I get back to my vision quest. Anything else you need?"

"Wait..." David began to say.

"Actually, yeah, one of our 'friends' zapped Jesse into some kind of parallel dimension. Is he dead? Trapped? Can you get him out?", Leon asked.

Gabriel tilted his head and closed his eyes. His eyes moved rapidly behind his eyelids for a few seconds before opening them.

"Leon...maybe I can...", David said, looking up at Gabriel.

"He's in Limbo, and he's still alive," Gabriel said, opening his eyes.

"Limbo, what's that?", Leon asked. David huffed and crossed his arms.

"It's a dimension for souls that have no destination," Gabriel answered. "It's a holding zone. He's actually pretty safe there."

"Can you get him out?"

Gabriel shook his head. "No can do. He has to be able to get out himself."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It means, that how he got there is irrelevant. He has to choose his own path to get out."

"I don't understand."

"That's what I _keep telling you_ ," Gabriel answered, exasperated.

"Guys!", Kinsey shouted, making Gabriel and Leon jump. They turned their eyes to her.

"I think David has something to say," she said, crossing her arms and smiling at David. He smiled back.

"Well?", asked Gabriel.

"Well..." David answered. "You said you had trouble retrieving some kind of hidden memory, right?"

Gabriel cocked his head. "Yes..."

"Well, I'm a mind-reader."

Gabriel looked at him and shook his head slowly, turning back to Leon.

"Why didn't you list that among our assets? Now only if we had a wheelbarrow, that would be something..."

Leon frowned. Gabriel sighed.

"No one gets my pop references...OK!" he said, clapping his hands together, standing and hopping down from the pedestal to walk over in front of David. "Make with the Great Kreskin, kid"

David looked puzzled.

Gabriel sighed even more heavily. "Seriously? I mean...seriously?! Oh never mind...completely hopeless...just, go ahead and read my mind. What am I not telling myself?"

David took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He touched his hand to Gabriel's forehead.

* * *

The Angel and the Demon materialized back in Joshua's mansion with Sarah, Jones and Trevor. The unconscious form of Suriel was being held up between them. They walked her over to a plush lounge chair and dumped her unceremoniously into it.

"Honeeeey, we're home...", the Demon called out in sing-song.

Joshua Vandecourte came out of the hallway into the large living room and stared at them.

"Where are the rest of the Heralds?", he asked, looking them over.

The Demon waved a hand in the air, a mock frown on his face.

"Aw, you know...kids," he answered. Joshua frowned.

"The scales must be _completely_ balanced...", Joshua answered.

"And who's to say they aren't?", the Archangel replied. "There are still seven mortals elevated to Angelic Power."

"Just cause we all ain't all copesthetic at the moment don't mean we can't see eye to eye. Eventually, anyway," the Demon finished, eyes glinting.

The Angel sighed. "There have always been...misunderstandings among the Ascended. But the fact remains. There are Seven of them in place. The balance is maintained."

Joshua nodded. "Fine, if you say so." He walked over to Suriel, looking down at her. He looked back up at the pair, his eyes gleaming with unmistakable hunger.

"Is...is this the last of them?"

The Angel nodded. "Yes, Joshua. The last of the Archangels. Gabriel is dead. What about the other copy of him? The one in Atlantis?"

Joshua smiled. "All taken care of...or about to be, speaking in the abstract," he smiled.

The Angel looked at the Demon, who returned his gaze, a slight smile on his face.

"Finally," Joshua said breathless. "And with Suriel's death, my Masters will be completely free."

"And the universe flips, and we're in charge...blah, blah, blah," the Demon answered, rolling his eyes. "Can we just skip the speechifying and get on with it?"

Joshua nodded. "Of course you are correct." He picked up Suriel in both arms easily and nodded at the Angel. "The Portal, if you will?"

The Angel made a gesture in the air and a glowing blue door appeared in the room. They stepped through it, one after the other.

* * *

David's eyes sprang open and he stared at Gabriel. The Angel opened his eyes and looked back at him quizzically.

"Well, what is it? Did you get anything?"

"Actually...yeah...", David answered slowly. "There's a suggestion there...subliminal, but it's there..."

Gabriel frowned. "And? What's it say? What's the big mystery?"

"It's...it's not the message, really, but from who it's _from_..."

"Care to share with the rest of the class?", Gabriel prompted.

"It's...it's from..." David started, shaking his head."...it's from Crowley..."

* * *

Crowley set his drink down on the conference table and stared up at the Big Board. His live satellite feed kept it centered on the Portal. He had been watching it carefully for the last few hours, waiting.

There was a flicker of energy and he saw three figures, one of them carrying a fourth, suddenly appear in the center of the vortex.

He stood up in a rush and stared at the screen.

It was the Angel, Demon and Joshua, who was carrying Suriel.

"Got you now, you bastards...", Crowley whispered at the screen. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his smartphone, pressing a button.

"Justin?", he said, when the other line picked up. "Unleash Hell."

* * *

Gabriel looked at David, completely dumbfounded. "Crowley...the King of Hell Crowley?"

David cocked his head. "No, the _other_ one..."

Gabriel frowned. "Ha ha. Ok, so spill. What's it say?"

"Nothing we didn't already know, but it might explain why you took such pains to make so many copies of yourself to stay alive all over the time-stream. It just says: 'As long as you're alive, they can't open the final Portal.'"

"Well, duh," Gabriel answered, rubbing his chin. "But if they _think_ that I'm dead, and try to open that thing, it won't work for them." He frowned. "What does that do for Crowley? They'll just turn around and start looking for me again."

"It's a trap," Kinsey said quietly behind them. They all turned towards her. She shrugged, as if the answer was obvious.

"I saw it all the time in Afghanistan. You let the leaders of groups that you can't find think they've won, then they all gather together in an open area..."

"They'll all be together in the same place for the first time. Someplace Crowley can actually find...", Gabriel said whispering.

"...they won't be able to open the Portal, because you're still alive...", David continued.

"And then?", Leon asked.

"Boom," Kinsey answered simply.

* * *

The bolt of energy flew from Joshua's hand towards Castiel's prone figure. Castiel closed his eyes, unable to even lift an arm to protect himself.

There was a blinding flash of pure, white light.

Castiel opened his eyes slowly.

 _I'm...I'm not dead?_

A figure stood on the deck of the ship, white steam rising off of him as he knelt on the deck. He lifted his head slowly to regard Joshua with utter disdain. He turned his head back to Castiel.

"Are you OK, Brother?", Gabriel asked.

Castiel grunted. "Gabe...Gabriel...", he answered. "We...we failed..."

Gabriel frowned, stood up and faced Joshua, who regarded the Archangel with complete hatred in his eyes.

"Obviously, otherwise you wouldn't have tried such a bone-headed stunt and sent yourself back here completely defenseless."

"Sorry," Castiel answered glumly.

Gabriel shook his head. "It doesn't matter." He looked past Joshua to the past-tense version of Castiel bound on the deck behind Joshua. "You aren't the only one that can accomplish your task." He turned his eyes back to Castiel, his face questioning. "Are you sure this is the only way?"

Castiel closed his eyes and nodded.

Gabriel set his jaw and turned to face Joshua.

"So be it. Hear me, Him Who is not to be Named! The Host of Heaven has come to set things to rights! Stand aside, or face the Wrath of the Allmighty Himself!". He looked back at Castiel and winked. "Who says I can't be melodramatic?" Castiel rolled his eyes.

Joshua snarled as _something_ rippled in waves underneath his skin.

"You know me, Child of the Lightbringer. But that will not help you. I have struck down countless of your number in the War of Creation, so many that even my very _name_ has become a blasphemy to you and your kin." His arms lengthened, forming into pincers, Tentacles ripped free from his robes and torso, and Joshua grew in height to tower over Gabriel, casting the entire deck of the ship in shadow, that also seemed to writhe and breath with malevolent life.

"You're just a shadow," Gabriel hissed back, raising his sword. "A vessel."

Joshua threw back his head and laughed. Then he turned back to Gabriel and sneered.

"Even the shadow of Hastur is enough to strike you down, Archangel."

"Bring it," Gabriel growled.

Light and Shadow rushed towards each other and met in a cataclysmic roar.

* * *

The Angel and Demon moved behind Joshua, who placed Suriel down in the rush of energy that was the open Portal swirling over the waters of the Atlantic. They appeared to be walking on nothing but the whirlwind of the Portal's energies, there were seemingly no solid surfaces anywhere.

"Bring forth the Gate!", Joshua screamed.

The rush of energy shook, and began to slowly form into a wall covered in runes. It rose into the air until the top of it was out of sight. Joshua grabbed Suriel by the throat and began to throttle her. She opened her eyes in shock, and tried to struggle, but could gain no ground.

Her body went limp after a few agonizing minutes, and a blaze of white light streamed from her eyes and mouth, crashing into the Gate.

The runes lit up, then began to fade. Joshua looked up, his smile fading.

"What...what went wrong?", he stammered. He spun back to the Angel and Demon. "The Gate...it should have opened...unless..." his eyes narrowed. "Gabriel...you told me he was _dead_!", he hissed at them.

The Demon shrugged. "We must have missed one."

Joshua roared in fury and flew at the Demon, grabbing him by the throat.

"Find him!", he screamed, spittle flying from his mouth. "Find him! Tear him limb from limb or so help me...!"

Joshua turned his head at a sudden noise, a rushing sound like something enormous falling out of the sky at them.

" _What is that_...?!", he screamed in rage and confusion.

* * *

The RK-55 Granat Russian cruise missile had cost Crowley nearly his entire hoard of Atlantian gold to buy on the black market and the rest just to keep it hidden from the authorities.

He watched as the missile with it's 200-ton yield nuclear warhead slammed into the Portal where Joshua, the Angel and Demon had been standing.

The satellite image expanded into a huge cloud of bright light, and Crowley watched with wide eyes as the mushroom cloud settled into the ocean over the course of several minutes. The Portal was still standing, of course, but he could deal with that at his own convenience.

He hit a button and zoomed in to where the three had been standing.

There was nothing there.

"Worth every penny," Crowley murmured, draining the last of his Scotch and setting the glass down on the table...

* * *

Gabriel skidded across the deck to land against the bulkhead where Castiel lay. He was bleeding from at least a dozen separate wounds and was gasping for air. He looked at Castiel and smiled weakly.

"Wow, he really wasn't kidding, was he?", he said, smirking.

Castiel shook his head. "Gabriel, we can't let him win..."

Gabriel grimaced in pain, grasping Castiel's forearm. Castiel's eyes opened wide and he gasped.

"Gabriel, no..."

Gabriel winked at him. "It's not anything that you wouldn't be willing to do yourself, Castiel.

Good luck, Brother."

Castiel watched as Gabriel rose on shaky legs and staggered across the deck to the waiting, monstrous form of Joshua. The creature caught him in mid-stride, picked him up with a massive arm, and slammed him into the deck, sending large splinters of wood flying everywhere. Gabriel lay there, not moving, eyes open and staring, a small, sarcastic smile on his lips.

There was a sound of things _breaking_ , as the large, nightmarish Joshua bent over the broken body of the Archangel, and began to devour him, ripping his very limbs away. Castiel turned his head away in horror...

...and then, using the energy that Gabriel had just given him, hurled himself across the deck to his past self.

Everything began to slow down, as if time itself was taking a deep breath to see what happened next.

Hastur/Joshua turned to follow the blur of motion, a growl from the depths rising in it's chest.

Castiel whipped out his Angel's Blade and slashed the guards surrounding his former self practically in half with the fury of his blow. The fell backwards, some falling over the ships railing, others onto the deck. Castiel rushed over to his past self and looked into the Atlantian vessel's eyes.

"I'm...I'm sorry...but I must. It's the only way..." He glared back at Vandecourte, who was roaring and trying to turn in time..."The Portal cannot be opened..."

"It's OK, I understand," Castiel's past self said. "Do it. Be swift."

Castiel turned back and raised his Blade.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!", screamed the Old One in Joshua's body, the air itself shaking with fury, as it flung itself desperately at Castiel, trying to stop him.

The Blade plunged into Castiel's past form, destroying the Angel utterly.

Time stopped.

Creation itself...

….shuddered.

Then...

it took...

….a long, deep breath.

* * *

….Crowley's glass clinked down on the desk and he took a long, deep breath.

He looked up at the pile of paperwork on his desk and then at the seemingly endless line of fallen Souls waiting for processing in the waiting room to his office.

The intercom in the large office room crackled to life and a metallic sounding voice came out over the speaker.

"Agent Crowley. Agent Crowley. Please report to Mistress Lilith's office. She wishes to _speak_ with you."

Crowley felt the blood drain out of his face as he looked around at the other Demons in the room, about forty of them, seated at similar bland, impersonal desks, who were watching him now with varying degrees of horror, curiosity and amusement.

He cleared his throat and stood up, straightening his tie.

He looked warily at the end of the hall, to the office of his supervisor. The hallway was lit by dim, soul-sucking florescents, which flickered and spit in protest of apparently having to even be turned on in the first place.

"Bugger," he whispered, and walked with small steps down the hall.

 **Author's note:**

There _has_ to be a very short Hell-aitus, I'm so sorry, but just to show you that I am not an entirely cruel and merciless writer, I will publish a short '.5' Episode next Sunday to set the tone for the next story arch.

So see you in TWO weeks, dear loyal Crowley Castiel Crazy readers, for the next Episode: " _Life of Crowley_ ".

Thanks for reading!


End file.
